Issues regarding the safety distance between open flames and Class B workshops in non-chemical enterprises
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Yesterday, while working on a project, the client requested that the safety distance between the boiler room and the Class B workshop should be 25 meters in accordance with the chemical industry regulations. However, I believe that the building codes should be applied, with a distance of 10 meters as specified for Class D workshops relative to Class B workshops. What are everyone’s opinions? Let’s discuss this. In projects like these, there are often so-called experts who advocate for stricter requirements – is that really necessary?
Have you seen the draft for revising the Building Code 2008? There are already requirements regarding the distance between Category B items and open flames. Although there is still considerable debate regarding whether the boiler room constitutes an open flame area, I recommend that if your Class B substances are in liquid form, you design it in accordance with petrochemical standards to avoid potential safety hazards. I’m not sure whether your Category B substances are hazardous chemicals; new regulations on hazardous chemicals are about to be issued, and a permit is required for their use.
Strict requirements are appropriate; for matters not specified in national standards, relevant industry norms or the standards of similar enterprises should be consulted
The boiler room is classified as a Class D building, and its fire resistance rating can be grade 3. Can this prove that it’s not an open flame? The safety distance between the boiler room and Class B workshops shall be determined in accordance with the requirements for open flames and Class B workshops. According to Table 4.2.1 of GB50160-1999, the distance between Class B A process equipment or rooms and open-flame equipment shall be 15 meters, while the distance between Class B B process equipment or rooms and open-flame equipment shall be 9 meters.
I disagree with the opinion on floor 4. Table 4.2.1 of GB50160-1999 refers to the layout within the equipment, while the overall layout of the entire plant site cannot apply the relevant provisions of Table 4.2.1 in GB50160-1999. Regarding the question raised by the poster, it is recommended to refer to the relevant requirements in Table 3.2.11 of GB50160-1999; the distance should not be less than 25 meters.
But I think that since hazardous chemicals are used, the relevant regulatory standards should be applied; in my opinion, these standards are too strict. According to Article 1.0.2 of the Code for Fire Protection Design of Petrochemical Enterprises, this code applies to the fire protection design of new construction, expansion, or renovation projects in the petrochemical industry that use petroleum, natural gas, and their derivatives as raw materials.
If this Class B workshop is exposed to explosion hazards, it is recommended to follow the Petrochemical Regulations, with a spacing of 25 meters; this is mainly to address the impact of sparks emitted from the boiler room chimneys on the workshop
It seems that few people agree with using building codes! In my opinion, if it is not a chemical enterprise, one should not apply the fire protection codes for chemical plant design; instead, the fire protection codes for building design should be used!
If building codes are followed, a distance of 10m should be sufficient
Non-chemical enterprises should adopt the fire protection codes for building design
I also hold this view, but some so-called experts are troublesome and inadvertently increase a company’s security costs. A piece of land that was once fine has been ruined by these so-called experts