DC Velocity - July 2009

as plastic units? For one thing, calling wood composite plastic is stretching things a bit. According to pallet pooler CHEP, there’s actually very little plastic in wood composite-block pallets; they are 95 percent wood.

Furthermore, not all plastics are the same. The plastic in the adhesives used in the wood composite blocks is known as a thermoset. “A thermoset doesn’t flow like lava; instead, it chars up on the outside,” says David Deal, director of product services and industry affairs for CHEP. This means that wood composite blocks react to fire the same way pure blocks of wood do, he says. To confirm this assertion, the NASFM is reviewing the latest evidence as part of the process of revising the CAB.

Then why not just revise the standard to state that wood composite pallets should be considered to be wood pallets? Lake says an NFPA technical committee did review a proposal to change the definition of wood pallets in NFPA 13 during a previous revision cycle but decided it was unwarranted at the time. He adds, however, that the technical

have different fire co committee would be willing to revisit the issue if the NASFM’s research shows a compelling reason to do so.

Several pallet suppliers say the confusion surrounding fire performance could be eliminated if all pallets were simply required to undergo a burn test and certification process. “There should be a ‘meets and exceeds’ standard,” says Steve Letnich, vice president of sales and marketing of steel pallet manufacturer Worthington Steelpac. But others disagree, contending that testing would be unnecessary as well as burdensome and expensive.

In the absence of such standards, what should conscientious DC

managers do? Since different states des and regulations, it’s best to work

closely with local officials to make sure you stay on the right side of the law.

“Basically, the best thing they can do is go to their local fire marshal and ask questions before they build a building, before they talk about what they’re going to put in a building,” says Letnich, “so they know exactly what type of sprinkler system they’re going to require.” ;

Some say the confusion
surrounding fire performance
could be eliminated if all
pallets were simply required
to undergo a burn test and
certification process.

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