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COMBUSTIBLE SOLIDS (15-28-500 et seq.)

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 15, ch. 15-28, art. XII
in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-500 Definitions.

15-28-500 Definitions. As used in this chapter: "Highly flammable material storage building" means a building or part of a building designed, intended, or used for the purpose of storing for resale, transfer or for processing at a date beyond reasonable usage requirements hay, straw, broom corn, hemp, jute, sisal, moss, sawdust, or wood dust, shavings, excelsior, hair (except for packing house byproduct type), cotton, henequen, istle (ixtle), tow, cocoa fiber, oakum, baled waste, kapok or moss except in those cases where any of the above mentioned combustible fibers are packed or baled in special containers, or covered with suitable wrappings so as to prevent the ready ignition of loose surface fiber. "Highly flammable material storage room" means a room designed, intended or used only for the purposes described under the preceding paragraph, which is located in a building other than a highly flammable material storage building. "Highly hazardous material, product, article or substance" means any material, product, article or substance which is liable to burn with rapidity, or while burning to emit poisonous or noxious fumes or while burning to cause explosions. "Nitrocellulose" means any substance, material or compound composed in whole or in part of soluble cotton or similar tetranitrate or higher nitrate of cellulose, including pyroxylin, plastic, celluloid, fibroid, viscoloid, pepalin and all similar substances, materials and compounds, including both new and reclaimed substances. "Nitrocellulose building" means a building, or part of a building, designed, intended or used for no purpose other than the nitration, manufacture or storage of nitrocellulose, or a building in which nitrocellulose is nitrated, or a building in which discarded scraps of nitrocellulose are reclaimed. "Nitrocellulose product" means any article or product either in the process of manufacture or fabrication or in the finished or completed state, which is composed wholly or in part of nitrocellulose including positive or negative nitrocellulose motion picture film, nitrocellulose, photographic film, nitrocellulose X-ray films, or pens, pencils, toilet articles, novelties or other articles or products composed either wholly or partly of nitrocellulose, excepting flammable liquids otherwise classified. "Nitrocellulose products building" means a building, or part of a building, designed, intended or used for no purpose other than the manufacture, fabrication, assembly, completion, receiving, shipping, distributing or storing of either finished or unfinished nitrocellulose products or parts of such products. "Weight (nitrocellulose and nitrocellulose products)" means the weight of the nitrocellulose only, not including the weight of any article or material to which the nitrocellulose is attached or fastened nor the weight of any wrapping or packing material, carton or other shipping container. (Prior code § 92-39)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-510 Picker and shredder room area limits.

15-28-510 Picker and shredder room area limits. No picker or shredder rooms shall have a floor area of more than 1,000 square feet. (Prior code § 92-40)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-520 Picker and shredder room construction requirements.

15-28-520 Picker and shredder room construction requirements. Every room used for the picking or shredding of any highly flammable material named under Section 15-28-500 shall meet the requirements for two-hour fire-resistive construction. Any opening for a stock spout through the enclosure for any such room shall be provided with a fire door as required by Chapter 14B-7 for a doorway through a separation of equal fire-resistive value. (Prior code § 92-41; Amend Coun. J. 10-7-20, p. 21791, Art. VI, § 82)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-530 Ventilation.

15-28-530 Ventilation. Every highly flammable material storage room and every picker or shredder room shall be provided with one or more windows, skylights or other ventilating opening facing a public way, private alley, yard or other open space not less than 15 feet wide, with closures arranged to open for natural ventilation and having a combined area of not less than five percent of the total wall area of the room. The required combined area of openings which are arranged to open for ventilation shall be provided with sashes or dampers, or other closures which shall be hung overbalanced and held in place in such manner that an explosion or fire within the room will cause such sash, damper or closure to open for its full area; provided, however, that in lieu of such requirements it shall be permissible to provide a vent flue or flues extending directly to the outside air, which shall be used solely for the purposes of ventilating such room, which shall have a combined area of not less than five percent of the total wall area of the room, with an inclosure of the same fire-resistive value as is required for the inclosures of the room, and equipped with a normally closed noncombustible trap door arranged to open automatically in case of explosion or fire within the room. No such window, skylight, ventilating opening or vent flue required by this section shall be nearer than four feet, six inches to any other building or structure on the same premises or to any interior lot line. (Prior code § 92-42)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-540 Fire protection equipment.

15-28-540 Fire protection equipment. Where a supply of steam at not less than five pounds pressure is available, a steam jet shall be installed in every picker or shredder room with a control valve outside of the room. Where such a supply of steam is not available, a standard two and one-half gallon fire extinguisher shall be kept outside the entrance door to every such room and adjacent thereto, with an opening 12 inches square provided through the inclosure of the room, through which the nozzle of the extinguisher may be directed into the room. Such opening shall be provided with a noncombustible cover, removable from the outside. (Prior code § 92-43)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-550 Instructions.

15-28-550 Instructions. Every valve required for the control of the discharge of steam through a steam jet in a picker or shredder room, shall be marked with a metal sign which shall bear the words "STEAM FIRE LINE". Every such sign shall meet the requirements of Section 15-28-120 for lettering. (Prior code § 92-44)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-560 Heating.

15-28-560 Heating. In every picker or shredder room, all heating shall be by steam or hot water radiation equipped with guards as provided for a standard drying room. (Prior code § 92-45)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-580 Danger signs.

15-28-580 Danger signs. Every building or room for the use or storage of highly flammable materials, shall have the words "FLAMMABLE – KEEP FIRE AWAY" painted in a conspicuous position on the outside thereof. Such wording shall be in plainly legible bright red letters on a white background with letters not less than six inches high and with the principal strokes thereof not less than three-fourths inch in width. (Prior code § 92-47)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-590 General safety clearances.

15-28-590 General safety clearances. Two thousand five hundred cubic feet of loose highly flammable material may be stored in an entirely detached "loose" house. Such "loose" house shall be not nearer than 100 feet to any adjoining lot line except the minimum distance to any lot line on which a building containing a Group A, E, or I occupancy is situated shall be 200 feet. Such "loose" house shall be constructed of any suitable noncombustible materials with all openings properly protected against the entrance of sparks, flying brands or other fire hazard. Such "loose" house shall not be used for any other purpose. (Prior code § 92-48; Amend Coun. J. 10-7-20, p. 21791, Art. VI, § 84)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-600 Special safety clearances.

15-28-600 Special safety clearances. It shall be unlawful to store in a loose condition, not in suitable bales or packages, any highly flammable materials, as defined in Section 15-28-500, whether housed or in the open within 100 feet of any adjoining lot line except as hereinafter specified. No such material shall be stored within 200 feet to any lot line on which a building containing a Group A, E, or I occupancy is situated. It shall be unlawful to store any highly flammable material in any basement of any building. Quantities of loose highly flammable materials up to and including 100 cubic feet shall be permitted to be stored in any building provided it shall be kept in bins constructed of wood plank lumber, not less than two- inch nominal thickness, lined with sheet metal of not less than No. 26 gauge and be equipped with a self- closing, hinged cover and equipped with a fusible link so arranged to close the cover automatically in the event of a fire. A bin constructed of sheet metal not less than No. 26 gauge with a hinged self-closing cover and equipped with a fusible link so arranged to close the cover automatically in the event of a fire. Each such bin shall have a capacity not exceeding 50 cubic feet. Quantities stored in excess of 100 cubic feet shall be in rooms or buildings complying with the applicable sections below. No person shall keep, pile, store or accumulate within the city, shavings, sawdust or excelsior in any quantity exceeding 20,000 pounds, unless such person shall first submit to the fire commissioner the written consents of the property owners representing the majority of the total frontage in feet of any lot or plot of ground lying wholly or in part within the lines 150 feet distant from and parallel to the boundaries of the lot or plot of ground upon which said storage is to be installed; provided, however, that for the purpose of this section only the frontage of any such lot or plot of ground, or that part of the frontage of any part of such lot or plot of ground, or that part of the frontage of any part of such lot or plot of ground as comes within the 150 feet limit herein prescribed shall be considered; and provided further, that all petitions containing such consents of property owners shall be based on and contain the legal descriptions of the property affected. Whenever the lot or plot of ground in which said storage is to be installed is in any other shape than rectangle, the 150 feet limiting line aforementioned shall not exceed in distance 150 feet from any point in the boundaries of such lot or plot of ground. No such storage yard shall be installed in any lot or plot of ground where any of the boundaries of such lot or plot of ground are within 200 feet of the nearest boundary of any lot or plot of ground used for a church, school or hospital. (Prior code § 92-49; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 157; Amend Coun. J. 10-7-20, p. 21791, Art. VI, § 85)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-610 Arrangement of storage.

15-28-610 Arrangement of storage. Baled highly flammable materials as defined in Section 15-28-500 shall be stored only in buildings complying with the following special provisions: (a) No single block or pile shall contain more than 25,000 cubic feet of highly flammable material exclusive of aisles or clearances. Blocks or piles of baled highly flammable materials shall be separated from adjacent storage by aisles not less than five feet wide; or barriers consisting of continuous sheets of noncombustible material extending from the floor to height of at least one foot above the highest point of the piles and shall project at least one foot beyond the sides of the piles. (b) Sisal and other highly flammable materials in bales bound with combustible tie ropes, also jute and other baled highly flammable materials that are liable to swell when wet, shall be stored to allow for the expansion in any direction without endangering the building walls, ceilings or columns. (c) Not less than 18 inches clearance shall be provided between the sprinkler pipes and the tops of the piles. (Prior code § 92-50; Amend Coun. J. 10-27-21, p. 39543, Art. V, § 10)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-620 Fire-resistive separation.

15-28-620 Fire-resistive separation. When the quantity of loose highly flammable materials stored exceeds 100 cubic feet, rooms separating such area from every other part of the building shall be required. Such rooms shall have separations providing the following fire-resistive ratings: Quantity of Highly Flammable Materials | Fire-resistive Rating 100.1 to 500 cubic feet | 1-hour 500.1 to 2,500 cubic feet | 2-hour Exceeding 2,500 cubic feet | 4-hour Baled storage rooms shall comply with the following: Quantity of Highly Flammable Materials | Fire-resistive Rating 500 to 2,500 cubic feet | 1-hour 2,500.1 to 5,000 cubic feet | 2-hour Exceeding 5,000 cubic feet | 4-hour (Prior code § 92-51)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-630 Fire doors.

15-28-630 Fire doors. Openings through fire-resistance rated construction shall be protected in accordance with Chapter 14B-7. (Prior code § 92-52; Amend Coun. J. 10-7-20, p. 21791, Art. VI, § 86)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-640 Exterior access.

15-28-640 Exterior access. Every such room as required by Section 15-28-620 shall have at least one exterior wall open to a clear space of at least 15 feet. (Prior code § 92-53)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-650 Ventilation.

15-28-650 Ventilation. Every such room as required by Section 15-28-620 shall be vented directly to the outside. Such vents shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of Section 15-28-530 and shall be arranged to open in case of fire or explosion. (Prior code § 92-54)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-660 Scuppers or drains.

15-28-660 Scuppers or drains. Every such highly flammable material storage room required to be sprinklered shall be provided with floor scuppers or drains to effectively drain away any excess water that may accumulate during fire- extinguishing operations. (Prior code § 92-55)
Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2679837Fetched: 10/24/2026

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