Q: Which businesses will be charged a Hazardous Materials Assessment Fee?

 A: Any business that uses or stores Hazardous Materials in quantities that exceed the permit amounts. The permit amounts are found in Article 1 of the Phoenix Fire Code.  If the amount of hazardous material stored by the business is below the permit amount a Phoenix Fire Code permit for storage, use and handling of the particular chemical(s) is not required. This does not exempt a business from required Fire Code or Building Code permits for construction, renovation, or installation of certain equipment, such as aboveground storage tanks or significant changes to process piping.

Q: How is the Hazardous Materials Assessment Fee determined?

 A: The hazardous materials assessment fee is based on the physical and health hazards of the chemical and the quantities stored and used.  Based on these variables a business will be assigned to a particular fee group.

 For example, consider a business that stores 90 gallons of isopropyl alcohol inside a building. Based on its flash point and boiling point temperatures, isopropyl alcohol is classified as a Class I-B Flammable liquid. Based on the amount of storage, the business would be assigned to Fee Group 2. If the business decided to reduce its storage quantity to less than 60 gallons, or chooses to use a less volatile material with a higher flash point temperature (e.g., Class I-C flammable liquid, Class II combustible liquid), PFD would assign the building to Fee Group 1.

Q: How will the Hazardous Materials Assessment Fee be collected?

 A: The following explains how Phoenix Fire Department will collect the assessment fee:

• A SHU Captain or Inspector will deliver an information packet via mail or in person. The packet will contain a Hazardous Materials Permit Application and a Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement and site plan worksheet.
• Businesses will have 30 days to complete and return the Hazardous Materials Permit Application, Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement, and a site plan.
• The Special Hazards Unit will review the Hazardous Material Inventory Statement. Based on the physical and health hazards of the chemical and the quantities stored and used, the business will be assigned to a fee group.
• The City of Phoenix Finance Department will send an invoice for the Hazardous Materials Assessment Fee.
• When the payment is received the SHU will mail a postcard to the business advising them that the Fire Department has received their payment and that we will be contacting them in the future to schedule an inspection.

Q: What are the Special Hazards Unit Inspection Priorities and how were they determined?

 A: Inspection Priorities are based on the potential impact of a fire or hazardous material release to the community, the degree of firefighting difficulty, the potential dollar loss if the worst-case incident were to occur, and the estimated Fire Department resources required to stabilize and mitigate a worst-case incident.  The current inspection priorities are shown below. PFD may adjust its inspection priorities based on the information found in the Hazardous Materials Inventory Statements.

1. Swimming pool chemical distributors
2. Mercantile-warehouse style stores
3. Chlorine transfill operations
4. Electroplating & chemical cleaning activities
5. Compressed gas storage & handling operations
6. Stationary Liquefied Petroleum Gas containers
7. Ammonia refrigeration plants
8. Chemical transfer/warehouse operations
9. Class I, II and III-A Flammable and Combustible Liquid Aboveground Storage Tanks
10. Telephone and internet Switch & Data centers

Q: What will the Fire Department do with this information?

 A: The information gathered by the Special Hazards Unit is entered into the Department’s Computer Aided Dispatch system. Currently, each location with a permit has information on the types of chemicals, where they are stored on the site, and their relative hazards. The Incident Commander can retrieve this information during a fire or hazardous materials response. We are also entering a brief summary of the building and hazardous materials inventory into a firefighter alerting system called “Premise Alert.” This feature is automatically displayed on the mobile computing terminals installed in all Phoenix Fire apparatus. The “Premise Alert” gives the company officer a quick overview of the hazardous materials that may be present and the protective features that the building may have.

Q: If I have any questions whom can I contact?

A: The Special Hazards Unit can be reached:

• Phone: 602-256-3434
• E-mail: special.hazards.unit@phoenix.gov
• Facsimile: 602-262-6492
• Location: Fire Operations Center – 150 S 12th Street

 Completing the HMIS

Classification of chemicals is reviewed by PFD staff for accuracy.

PFD is concerned with the largest quantities of the materials that present the greatest hazard.

Tricks of the Trade

The following should be documented on a HMIS:

–       Hazardous materials with a DOT shipping label

–       Hazardous materials with a NFPA 704 rating of “2,” “3,” or “4”

–       Pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides with EPA hazard signal of “Danger” or “Warning”

–       All cryogenic fluids (liquid nitrogen, liquid argon, etc.)

What not to Report

─   Office and janitorial cleaning supplies

─   Automotive and dry cell batteries

─   Motor oil or other Class III-B liquids

─   < 500 pounds of Level 2 & 3 aerosols (500 pounds = 1 pallet load)

─   Quantities of hazardous materials in containers less than 1 gallon, 1 pound or 20 cubic feet.

─   Exception: Materials with a NFPA 704 rating of “3” or “4”

Particular areas of review include:

• Maintenance and adequacy of fire protection systems
• Egress and exit paths
• Obvious misuse of flexible cords (extension cords) and the like
• Separation of incompatible hazardous materials
• Adequacy and maintenance of containments
• Identification of hazardous materials
• Aboveground storage tanks: Adequacy and design of emergency vents and dispensing elements

Incompatible Hazardous Materials

Incompatible hazardous materials are a very common violation.

To avoid the violation:

–        Separate hazardous materials by DOT labels

–        Use guidance such as 46 CFR 150 or EPA hazardous waste incompatibility matrix to ensure separation

NFPA 704 hazard diamonds

Special Hazards Unit inspectors will determine if NFPA 704 hazard diamonds are required. Generally our experience is that most NFPA 704 diamonds overstate the hazards. If a diamond is required it must meet our specifications.

Flammable Liquids

Class I, II and III-A liquids (liquids with a flash point < 200°F) only require cabinet storage when the amount is > 10 gallons in laboratories or areas where maintenance, demonstrations, or treatments are performed inside of a building.

For a cabinet to be approved:

–    Self closing & latching doors

–    Minimum 18 gage steel construction

–    Minimum 2-inch bottom sill

–    Cabinet does NOT require mechanical ventilation

Aerosols do not require storage in a flammable liquids cabinet.