A critical new product has been added to the suite of FM Approved solutions intended to help mitigate the unique risks posed by intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) in use worldwide.
Composite IBCs provide an economical and efficient way to store, transport and dispense a vast range of liquids. One of the most popular configurations features a cube-shaped metal cage with a blow-molded plastic inner container on a wooden or steel pallet (fig 1).
Millions of these IBCs—ranging in volume from 119 gal (450 L) to 793 gal (3,000 L)—are used globally for the shipping and storage of almost any liquid, including fuels, process chemicals, hydraulic fluids, solvents, paints, coatings, adhesives, syrups, vegetable oils, waxes and polishes. But ignitable liquids stored in what are essentially plastic containers creates a serious challenge for risk managers.
Introduced in the mid 1990s, the fire risks posed by IBCs became evident early on. “Many years ago, ignitable liquids stored in 55-gallon steel drums and some metal tote tanks were the main risks,” notes John LeBlanc, vice president and senior engineering technical specialist in FM Global’s chief engineer’s group. “Suddenly, we jumped from 55 gallons in a steel drum to 275 gallons or more in a plastic container. Even a relatively small heat source can rupture one of these composite IBCs, resulting in a large pool fire that can overwhelm sprinkler systems.”
Long-awaited breakthrough
In December 2020, the Ecobulk SX-D composite IBC (fig 2) from Schütz Packaging Systems of Germany earned the FM Approved certification based on the requirements of Approval Standard 6020, Composite Intermediate Bulk Containers. The Schütz IBC is the first to earn the FM Approved mark and can be used to store liquids with flashpoints of ≥100oF/37.8oC. The metal clad IBC features an integral steel pallet.
The FM Approved composite IBC from Schütz features double-wall construction (fig 3) with an inner plastic container surrounded by a sealed metal shell that is capable of containing the contents should the inner layer be breached. The new IBC is the same size and capacity of conventional composite IBCs, but offers protection against potentially catastrophic pool fires.
Global exposure
The FM Approved IBC joins two other solutions—Safespill flooring systems and Viking/Minimax IBC containment units—that have earned the FM Approvals diamond over the past few years and can help mitigate the risk posed by IBCs.
The Safespill flooring system from Houston, Texas-based Safespill (fig 4) can automatically capture and remove any liquid spilled on its surface, including chemicals and ignitable liquids. The system has been developed and refined through continuous fire and spill testing at Safespill’s test facility in Houston. The floor system earned the FM Approved mark in 2017 based on the requirements of Approval Standard 6090, Ignitable Liquid Drainage Floor Assemblies and received a second approval under FM 6090 in 2020 for larger floor areas such as those used in aircraft hangars and distribution centers.
According to Safespill founder and CEO Tristan Mackintosh, “We know the capabilities of our flooring system very well because we fire tested our prototypes to the point of destruction. There were corporate buyers who were waiting for us to get our FM Approved certification. Our FM Approved flooring system is at the heart of both our hangar floor system and IBC Storage units. For instance, our IBC Storage Units, which are self-contained turnkey storage systems for IBCs, use our FM Approved Safespill flooring system on multiple levels, along with FM Approved sprinklers. Our long-term plan is to earn the FM Approved mark for the entire IBC storage system. In the meantime, our customers are reassured by the FM Approved technology at the core of our systems.”
The Model BWCon 1.400 IBC containment unit from Minimax/Viking (fig 5) earned the FM Approved mark in 2019 by satisfying the requirements of Approval Standard 6086, Storage Containers for IBCs. The system is a stainless steel storage box designed to hold and protect a single IBC when located in manufacturing, process, small storage and other critical areas.
The system can capture the contents of an IBC and limit the size of a potential pool fire, providing protection in areas where a fixed fire protection system is not in place or is not adequate to protect against an ignitable liquid fire. The unit has additional capacity to capture water or foam discharged by a fire protection system.
According to Viking Group CEO James Golinveaux, the first iteration of the Viking/Minimax IBC containment system was introduced in Europe and later adapted to the North American market. “We worked closely with FM Approvals and FM Global both in Germany and in U.S.,” he says. “We call it ‘the voice of the customer’—the process of listening to end users and industry representatives and including that input in our product development and certification efforts.”
Minimax CEO Klaus Hofmann, based in Bad Oldesloe, Germany, notes, “This is one of the many instances where Minimax Viking worked closely with industry leaders, such as FM Approvals and FM Global, to satisfy the needs of insured customers and the industry as a whole.”
Viking Group vice president of product management Martin Workman was personally involved in collecting customer input in the North American market. “We loaded the European version of our IBC containment unit into a large truck and drove it to multiple customer sites to provide demonstrations. It was a great opportunity to learn what the market really wanted and incorporate that input in the final product. Today, our FM Approved system is used by manufacturers, primarily, to make it possible to safely use IBC storage on the shop floor. It’s far less expensive than making changes to sprinkler systems or other changes that would be required to meet fire protection requirements.”
Teamwork pays off
“The Approval Standards developed for all three of these IBC-related products resulted from initial research conducted by FM Global,” notes Rich Ferron, FM Approvals chief operating officer. “All of these were great examples of cooperation between industry, FM Approvals and FM Global in developing robust product evaluation standards.”
The newly FM Approved Schütz IBCs were tested extensively in the Large Burn Laboratory at the FM Global Research Campus in West Glocester, Rhode Island, USA. The IBCs were tested using high flashpoint liquids—represented by mineral oil—and low flashpoint liquids—diesel fuel.
According to Witali Engelhardt, FM Approvals business development manager for EMEA, Schütz expressed an interest in achieving FM Approvals certification for an IBC long before it developed its final FM Approved product.
“They were interested in our standard about six years ago, but did not yet have a product that could pass our testing,” says Witali, whose office in Frankfurt, Germany, is just 60 miles from the Schütz headquarters. “We stayed in close contact with them at every opportunity. As one of the largest makers of IBCs in the world, they are providing true leadership and innovation to help their customers achieve risk reduction.”
FM Approvals’ Rich Ferron notes, “It has taken quite a while, but we now have FM Approved products that anyone in the world can purchase to address the very real fire risks associated with IBC use in industry.”