Pallet Rack Flue Space Safety

June is National Safety Month, and if you’re running a warehouse of any size, shape, or design, safety should always be at the forefront of your mind. Several aspects of safety include policies, procedures, actions, and utilization of products to ensure the well-being of your warehouse employees and office workers. In this blog post, we’ll highlight pallet rack flue space and the products you can use to create the required amount in your pallet rack systems. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, flue space is defined as clear vertical lines of sight from the floor to the ceiling within rack storage areas. There are two types of flue space, transverse and longitudinal.

Transverse flue space is the space between rows parallel to the direction of loading.

Longitudinal flue space is the space between rows of storage perpendicular to the direction of loading with a width not exceeding 24 inches between storage.

Aside from being required by many fire codes, this allows fires to vent upward instead of across multiple racks. It will allow sprinkler systems to extinguish or contain a fire until proper authorities arrive.

Regulations and rules vary by state, and requirements may differ based on rack height and depth, but 3 inches of longitudinal flue space and 12 inches of transverse flue space are good rules of thumb.

Several options exist for creating the required flue space in your pallet rack system. Some options include:
-Pallet Stops
-Row Spacers
-Hanging Divider
-Carton Stops
-Fluekeeper
Below, we will briefly overview each and how they create the required flue space to keep your warehouse code compliant.

Pallet stops are designed to prevent pallets from being accidentally pushed off the back of a rack during loading or unloading. These products, much like the offering from Steel King, also help maintain the required flue space.

The NFPA13 and International Building Code (IBC2012) require that flues be maintained in all warehouse racking systems but do not require a specific device.

However, many local Fire Marshalls will mandate a mechanical means of separation. Specifically, new High Pile Guidelines require pallet stops on all new racking projects.

As mentioned, there are two types of flue space, longitudinal and transverse. Row spacers are used to produce precise longitudinal flue space in racks. Row spacers typically bolt to two frames and keep their distance uniform. To be effective, that space must be correctly designed and the pallets restrained so they do not block the longitudinal flue space. The number of row spacers needed will depend on the height of your racking.

Hanging dividers function similarly to clip dividers, helping separate certain items from one another while keeping products organized and creating flue space. Instead of clipping onto the wire deck on which the things are sitting, the dividers clip to the deck above, hanging down and making the separation between the products. This naturally creates more space and helps keep your product organized.

Carton stops are backstops designed to prevent products from spilling off the back of your racking. They typically install without hardware and can be adjusted based on space needs. When the product hangs or spills over the edges of the racking, it will naturally affect the flue space. As mentioned, carton stops prevent this, creating clear flue lines for your racking system.

DACS, Inc. features a product specifically for maintaining transverse flue space. The FlueKeeper and FlueKeeper HD (for deep-rack shelves greater than 72 inches) maintain the 3-inch flue space that is required by many fire codes. The FlueKeeper is a curved tube that connects to the rear and front posts, curving inward to create flue space on each side of the rack post.0

Have more questions about pallet rack flue spacers or need a quote for your customer?

At WPRP, Our Goal is to Help You!  If you have any questions about pallet rack flue spaces call 888-578-1579 today or get a quote. Thank you!