[labnetwork] Exhaust of corrosive chemical storage cabinets

Tue Nov 22 11:20:29 EST 2016

I agree with Bill. In California exhausting chemical storage cabinets is not
required by the California Fire code. We are only required to meet minimum
ventilation requirements for the Hazardous Occupancy storage bunker where
such cabinets are stored. This is usually a minimum 1-cfm per square foot. 

Regards

Rizik Michael, PE

Principal

Integrated Engineering Services 

Office: 408-261-3500

Cell: 408-718-0927

From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu [mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu]
On Behalf Of Bill Flounders
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2016 2:03 PM
To: Peter J Duda III; James Marsh; labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu
Cc: James Marsh (mail.mil)
Subject: Re: [labnetwork] Exhaust of corrosive chemical storage cabinets

Jim, Peter,
The TGO Synopsis from South Bay Pipe is a useful guide for many 
in this community. Thank you for providing the on line link for all.
However, 
I do not consider using the TGO and its  description of requirements for
toxic 
gases and gas cabinets (chemicals in use) the best reference for evaluating 
ventilation requirements for chemical storage cabinets.

I suspect you are evaluating ventilation from chemical storage cabinets
used to store your closed containers of liquid chemicals and whether
this effluent must go through a building scrubber or can be exhausted
directly - or in other cases is not required to be exhausted. My dated 
recall is the mechanical and fire code had specific requirements for the 
overall room ventilation but not requirements for cabinet ventilation.

Your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ, most commonly
your local or campus fire marshal) will make the call but I expect you can
obtain guidance on this situation by comparing your storage cabinets to
the situation at your shipping and receiving or EH&S waste handling
facility.
I expect the requirements for storage cabinets of closed (not in use)
containers 
to be far more modest than the requirement for a chemical fume hood or other

process equipment that is used to handle open chemical containers.

Re pros and cons instead of discussing code requirements - we have both.
Our chemical inventory room which meets specific overall room ventilation
requirements, has sealed bottles from the manufacturer, and chemical
cabinets that don't stink when you open them - has chem cabinets that are
not
separately ventilated. This saved money and reserved exhaust capacity for 
higher priority needs. 
When we have a stinky cabinet in the main lab with half filled photoresist
and 
waste solvent bottles - even though this is storage - and the room meets
overall
ventilation requirements - and the cabinet is not required to be exhausted -
we added 
ventilation to the cabinet and insure we met all 1/2 IDLH exhaust
requirements.

Bill Flounders
UC Berkeley

Peter J Duda III wrote:

Jim

Santa Clara developed what is now known as the Toxic Gas Ordinance way back
in 1988 as a response to the growing number of semiconductor facilities in
that area.  It has since been modified and is mostly used as the model for
the Universal Fire Code.  While no source is definitive and local codes vary
– I have found this document:

<http://www.sbaypipe.org/assets/pdf/TGO_Toxic_Brochure_single%20pages_0519.p
df>
http://www.sbaypipe.org/assets/pdf/TGO_Toxic_Brochure_single%20pages_0519.pd
f

to be extremely helpful in providing general guidance regarding most
standard semiconductor gases.  Not only does it cover generally where TGO
varies from the model fire code - There are a lot of good definitions, the
general requirements are very easy to follow and the table of gases provides
easy access to classifications and IDLH, etc.   Again – one needs to cross
check against your local requirements, but a 20 minute read can give you an
abundance of info regarding what is required throughout much of the US. 

Specifically to your question – you can see under the general requirements
in the “Exhaust Ventilation System” which class of gasses are required to be
“treated” to ½ IDLH.  Under the TGO Synopsis you can see under bullet 

“S” what is involved in a “treatment system”.  I leave it to you to
interpret those for your specific application and again – to cross check
those requirements against local codes.  

Thanks

Peter J Duda

Technical Director, Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility

Institute for Molecular Engineering

University of Chicago

5640 South Ellis Avenue

ERC LL178

Chicago, IL  60637

Office: 773-702-8903
Pager/Text:  773-652-0480

duda at uchicago.edu

ime.uchicago.edu

From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu [mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu]
On Behalf Of James Marsh
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2016 10:15 AM
To: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu
Cc: James Marsh (mail.mil)  <mailto:James.e.marsh14.ctr at mail.mil>
<James.e.marsh14.ctr at mail.mil>
Subject: [labnetwork] Exhaust of corrosive chemical storage cabinets

Hello, 

I would like some feedback regarding the pros/cons of venting corrosive
chemical storage cabinets to outdoors. I may be looking at the wrong
resources, but after checking NFPA, SEMI, FM Global, both state and
international fire and mechanical codes, I have found only sketchy guidance.

I would welcome either ideas or suggestions of where to look for definitive
guidance.

Thanks, and have a great day.

Jim

James “Jim” Marsh, Contractor

Facility Manager/Test Coordinator

EOIR Technologies, Inc. – A Polaris Company

Supporting

US Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate

Semiconductor Material and Fabrication Research Center 

10221 Burbeck Rd.

Ft. Belvoir, VA  22060

Ph: (703) 704-1778

Mobile: (703) 498-1279

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