Why Flue Spaces are Important

https://www.usfa.fema.gov

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are two types of flue spaces for warehouse racking. The requirements for flue space maintenance depending on the height of the racks but the purpose remains the same. Flue spaces allow vertical fire spread to reach ceiling sprinklers and for sprinklers to reach the warehouse racking without obstructions. Every facility should pay special attention to NFPA code 230 and code 13.

What are the two types of flue spaces?

Some facilities may forego or forget the safety and security of one of the two types.

• Transverse flue space: As one faces the rack storage array, it is the space between commodities on the racks and between the racks themselves.
• Longitudinal flue space: If one were to walk to the end of an aisle and look along the double- or multiple-row long dimension of the racks (back-to-back) this is the longitudinal flue space.

Keeping these clear is vital to the safety of your warehouse. In fact, NFPA Code 13 shows the results of several tests to determine the effect of closing longitudinal and transverse flue spaces. These tests showed that sprinklers cannot operate effectively when flue spaces are blocked.

How do equip your flue space for success?

A proper rack safety system is essential for maintaining clear flue space. Adrian’s Pallet Rack Safety product line offers effective, simple, and affordable solutions for racking flue space compliance and work area protection. Our products do not require any tools or retrofitting, install in seconds, and are more affordable than many safety solutions.

LET’S RECAP…

Flue spaces are important because:

• Some facilities forego or forget to consider the two types of flue spaces
• Be sure to consider both your transverse flue space and your longitudinal flue space
• Flue space ensures that your sprinklers have room to reach flames and extinguish them
• Plus, clear flue space indicates that your pallet racking and products are adequately organized and secure

_{Source: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/}

For additional information please refer to the International Fire Code®; NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems; or NFPA 230, Standard for the Fire Protection of Storage.

Originally posted on April 17, 2015, and has since been updated.