Your project may require a Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement (HMIS) in order to be approved by the fire department for occupancy. There are many materials that fall under the hazardous materials definition. Labs, paint shops, retail occupancies with flammable chemicals, car repair shops, warehouses storing chemicals, high tech processes, and more all store hazardous chemicals. The amount and type of material stored, used, or sold needs to be assessed using the HMIS along with other chemical resources. For many jurisdictions, a Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement is required for each building, facility or structure in which hazardous materials are stored. This HMIS is used by your local fire department to determine code compliance and data needed for permit issuance. Knowing what to include on this Inventory Statement can be confusing. For each individual material, you will need to list the following:
1. Hazard class. Common or trade name.
2. Chemical name, major constituents, and concentrations if a mixture.
3. CAS number found in 29 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)
4. Whether the material is pure or a mixture, and whether the material is a solid, liquid, or gas.
5. Maximum quantity stored at any one time.
6. Storage and use conditions
You will have to complete an inventory line for every material you handle at your building in an aggregate quantity. The HMIS must also include a total quantity for each hazard class based on storage/use conditions. This complete inventory will need to show all materials in all facilities and will need to be quite exhaustive. With TheHazMatApp subscriptions, users can generate a property chemical inventory with all needed information. This inventory will be in a printable excel format, which can be directly submitted to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in your area.
For example, in the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Appendix H Hazardous Materials Management Plans and Hazardous Materials Inventory Statements, it is stated that “a separate HMIS shall be provided for each building, including its appurtenant structures, and each exterior facility in which hazardous materials are stored. The hazardous materials inventory statement shall list, by hazard class, all hazardous materials stored.”
Another example is in the Denver fire department district, where businesses and storage facilities using, handling, dispensing, storing, or producing, hazardous materials are required to contact the Hazardous Materials Unit in the Fire Prevention Division (FPD) to ensure the respective facilities are in compliance with both federal and Denver municipal regulations. FPD's Hazardous Materials Unit manages hazardous materials compliance with specific code requirements for reviews, permits, and inspections. There are two steps to the hazardous materials application, one that is small in scope and determines whether an HMIS is necessary. The second step will require more information and include a HMIS to decide what type of fire protection and life safety systems will be needed for code compliance and emergency situations.
