4.

CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPANCIES

4.1 As the water supply, pumping capacity and other features of the
sprinkler installations depends not only on the size of the risk, but
also on its fire growth and spread potentialities, the risks are to
be categorized under the following classes for the purpose of
design of the installation.

Light hazard class, High hazard class.

Ordinary hazard class, Storage hazards.

4.2 The list provided hereunder under each class is not very
exhaustive. For categorisation of any risk not listed, reference to
the committee with full particulars is essential prior to the design
of the installation.

Typical occupancies are as shown below:

16.1. LIGHT HAZARD CLASS:

Non-industrial occupancies where the areas of rooms, corridors, halls etc. are
not more than 125 m2 and above are bounded by masonry/or R.C.C. walls
raised up to the roof and door openings therein protected by doors.

Typical occupancies are as follows:

Hospitals Libraries Office buildings

Hotels Laundries Prisons
Institution Museums Schools, Colleges etc.,
s Nursing homes

Note It any occupancy or block within the Light hazard risk is larger
than 125 m2 in area or having an area less than 125 m2 in area
but not bound on all sides as stipulated above, the risk shall be
classified as 'ordinary' hazard.

4.2.2 ORDINARY HAZARD (Manufacturing occupancies)

1. Abattoirs Abrasive 13. Car parking areas within

wheel and powder building or basement
2. Aircraft factories 14. Cement
(excluding hangers) 15. Ceramics
3. Airport terminal 16. Chemicals
buildings 17. Cinematographic and TV
4. Bakeries Produc-tion / broadcasting studios
5. Biscuit factories, Book- 18. Cloth processors
binders, Publishers 19. Confectioneries Dairies
6. Breweries 20. Dehydrated vegetable factories
7. Boot and shoe units 21. Departmental stores/Retail
8. Cables shops
9. Candle 22. Electronic equipment and
10. Cardboard factories assembly
11. Carpentry and furniture [not 23. Engineering
involving foam/ foam plastics] workshops
12. Carpets 24. Fibreboard factories

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 25. Flax, Jute and hemp 39. Rubber and Plastics
mills (other than foam
26. Flour Mills plastics)
27. Food and beverages 40. Soap factories
28. Glass factories 41. Sugar Mills
29. Hosiery and garment 42. Synthetic fibres/yarn
30. Jewellery factories
31. Laboratories 43. Tanneries
32. Motor garages 44. Textile mills
33. Paint shops 45. Timber and wood-
34. Paper mills working (except saw
35. Photographic film mills)
factories 46. Theatres
36. Plywood factories 47. Tobacco factories
37. Printing presses 48. Wood wool
Restaurants and cafes 49. Woollen mills
38. Rope factories 50. Vermicelli
51. Wax factories

4.2.3 HIGH HAZARD (Manufacturing occupancies)

1. Aircraft hangers 10. Hessian cloth/Tar felt Match

2. Bitumen and wax factories Oil mills
coated paper 11. Paint, Colour and Varnish
3. Celluloid goods factories
Cellulose Nitrate 12. Resin, Rosine, Turpentine and
4. Cigarette Filter lamp black
5. Distilleries 13. Rubber substitutes making
6. Duplicating/stencil units
paper Explosives 14. Saw mills
7. Fire works 15. Surgical cotton, Mattress and
8. Floor cloth and Pillow makers
Linoleum 16. Tar distillation units
9. Foam plastics and foam rubber 17. Woodwool
manufacturers

4.2.4 STORAGE OCCUPANCIES

Storage risks (stacked or high-piled) are categorised under four classes as per
classifications below:

CATEGORY-I

Carpets, Non-synthetic/synthetic yarn and fabrics, Mechanical and electrical

goods (dominantly metal parts) and hardware items, Glassware and
Crockery, Fibreboard, groceries, metal goods, Papers other than those listed
under categories 2 and 3 below, Powdered and canned foods, Plastic/glass
bottles containing non-flammable liquids etc.,

CATEGORY-II

Batteries, Baled Cotton/synthetic fibres, Books, Baled cork, Baled waste

paper, Cartons containing alcohols (in cans/bottles), Cartons of canned
lacquers which dry by solvent evaporation, Chipboard,
Cardboardrolls(horizontallystored), Cereals/Grains/Foodstuff/Flour/ Sugar in
sacks, Cellulose/Cellulose pulp, Electrical goods other than those stated in
Category-I, Flammable liquids in non-combustible containers, Leather goods,
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Palletised liquor stocks, Plastics (non-foamed, other than cellulose nitrate),
Rolled pulp and paper and asphalted paper (Horizontal storage), Veneer
sheets, Wooden patterns, Metal/wooden furnitures with plastic seats etc.,

CATEGORY-III

Bitumen/Wax coated paper, Candles, Carbon black, Card board rolls

(vertically stored), Charcoal, Coal, cellulose nitrate, Foamed plastic and foam
rubber products, Flammable liquids in combustible containers, Linoleum
products, Matches, Plastics other than those stated in Category II, Rolled pulp
and paper and asphalted paper (vertical storage), Rubber goods including
tyres and tubes, Sawn timber, Ventilated wood stacks, Waxed and asphalt
coated papers and containers in cartons, Wood wool, wooden pallets and
flats(idle), All materials having wrappings or pre-formed containers of foamed
plastics etc.,

CATEGORY-IV

Off-cuts and random pieces of foamed plastic or foamed rubber rolls of sheets
of foamed plastic or foamed rubber, Foam mattress, Expanded polystyrene
packaging, Foam upholstery etc.,

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