A warehouse fire is a different animal from an apartment fire. There are fewer people inside, but far more fuel, stored higher, often in racks that let fire climb fast. Firefighters arriving at a distribution centre in Surrey or a manufacturing plant in Port Coquitlam need to know what is stored where, how high, and whether the sprinkler system was designed for it. That is exactly what the BC Fire Code asks a warehouse or industrial fire safety plan to tell them.

Which industrial buildings need a plan

Section 2.8 of the BC Fire Code requires a fire safety plan for any building required by the BC Building Code to have a fire alarm system. Most larger warehouses and industrial buildings fall into that group on their own. Even where they do not, the code also captures:

• storage areas in buildings covered by Section 3.2 of the Fire Code, which deals with indoor storage of commodities, plastics, rubber tires, combustible fibres, aerosols, packaged dangerous goods and distilled spirits
• outdoor storage areas covered by Section 3.3
• buildings and areas where flammable or combustible liquids are stored or handled under Part 4
• areas where hazardous processes and operations under Part 5 take place

In other words, a small building without a fire alarm can still need a plan because of what is inside it.

What a warehouse plan must contain

Every BC plan has the same base: emergency procedures, supervisory staff, training, diagrams of fire emergency systems, fire drills, control of fire hazards, and inspection and maintenance. The BC Fire Code then layers on extra content depending on the use. These are the additions that matter most for warehouses and industrial sites.

Indoor storage details

For buildings used to store the products covered by Section 3.2, Article 2.8.2.4 requires the plan to identify:

• the product classification for each part of the building where products of different classifications are stored
• the method of storage, including aisle widths for rack storage
• the maximum permitted storage height for the building or each part of it
• the maximum permitted size of individual storage areas
• in sprinklered buildings, the sprinkler system design criteria, inside and outside hose allowances, and the results of benchmark main drain and waterflow tests

Where the stored products include Group A plastics, rubber products, Level 2 or 3 aerosols, or dangerous goods, the plan must also show where they are and the maximum quantity of each.

This is where many warehouse plans fall apart. The building was permitted and sprinklered for one commodity class, then a new tenant moved in with higher racks and plastic-wrapped goods. The plan, and sometimes the sprinkler system, no longer matches reality.

Outdoor storage

For outdoor storage areas, the plan must identify the location and classification of products, the method of storage including clear spaces and maximum pile sizes, the location of fire alarm systems and firefighting equipment, and the measures for controlling fire hazards around the storage area. A copy of the fire emergency procedures must also be posted at the outdoor storage site.

Dangerous goods and after-hours contacts

Where dangerous goods are stored or handled, the plan must include the names, addresses and telephone numbers of people to contact in case of fire outside operating hours. Fire crews arriving at 2 a.m. need someone who can tell them what is in Bay 4.

Flammable liquids and spill control

For buildings and areas covered by Part 4, the plan must include a spill management plan describing how spilled liquids and firefighting water will be directed away from buildings, neighbouring properties, exits, air intakes, the fire alarm panel, fire department access routes, sprinkler and water supply valves, the fire department connection and process isolation valves. Where there are rooms for storage tanks, the plan must identify the liquids stored and the capacity of each tank.

Hot work and hazardous processes

Where hot work is done, the plan must include the safety measures in Section 5.2 of the Fire Code. Where Part 5 hazardous processes take place, such as dust-producing operations or spray painting, the plan must identify storage and use areas for specific products and the after-hours contacts. Laboratories follow the same approach.

Access aisles and housekeeping

The BC Fire Code also requires adequate access for firefighting to all parts of an indoor storage area, and access aisles at least 1.0 m wide to fire department access panels and to fire protection equipment, kept free of obstruction. In practice we see pallets parked in front of sprinkler risers, extinguishers buried behind stock, and hose cabinets blocked by shrink-wrap machines. Each of those is a finding waiting to happen.

Drills and supervisory staff in industrial buildings

Most warehouses and plants fall under the general fire drill requirement: drills for supervisory staff at intervals not greater than 12 months. Labs within an industrial site must drill at intervals not greater than three months. Shift work makes this harder. The code’s explanatory notes point out that afternoon and night shift workers need to know the procedures as well as the day shift, and suggest extra drills outside normal hours where needed.

Supervisory staff in an industrial building need to know more than the exit routes. They should know how to shut down processes safely, where fuel and gas shut-offs are, and which areas firefighters should be warned about.

Common problems we find

• Storage heights well above what the plan, and the sprinkler design, allow
• No current commodity classification because the tenant changed
• No spill control section where flammable liquids are stored
• Out-of-date after-hours contacts
• Multi-tenant buildings with one old plan that does not reflect any of the current tenants

If your building has changed hands or tenants, our guide on fire safety plan pricing in BC explains what drives the scope of an update.

Frequently asked questions

Does each tenant in a multi-tenant industrial building need its own plan?

The building needs a fire safety plan that reflects every tenant space. Some fire departments accept one building plan with tenant-specific sections, others want more. The key is that storage, hazards and contacts for every unit are current.

Our racks are being raised. Do we need to update the plan?

Yes, and talk to your sprinkler contractor before the racks go up. The plan must state the maximum permitted storage height and the sprinkler design criteria, so a change in rack height affects both the plan and possibly the system.

Is a construction fire safety plan different?

Yes. Construction and demolition sites need their own plan before work starts. See our construction fire safety plan checklist.

Industrial plans from people who walk the racks

We have prepared more than 1,000 fire safety plans since 2003, including warehouses, distribution centres and industrial buildings across Surrey, Port Coquitlam, Richmond and the Fraser Valley. We measure storage, check commodity and sprinkler information, and draw plans that give fire crews what they need. Pricing is upfront and approval is guaranteed. Request a quote through our contact page or call (778) 574-2895.