Whether a product arrives in a carton or in plastic shrink looks like two lines in the commodity table — on site it is the difference between Category II and Category IV.
On a sprinkler replacement project for a logistics client, the first question was simple: "We store cosmetics, which category are we?" The answer was not simple. Half the racking held creams in cartons and the other half aerosol deodorant cases wrapped in plastic shrink. Cosmetics are not a single EN 12845 category; the product, its packaging and its storage orientation together determine it. This article covers how we use the alphabetical commodity list on site, the plastic container exceptions, and its link to the material factor annex.
What the commodity annex does
EN 12845 divides stored materials into four categories: Category I (lowest hazard) through Category IV (highest). Those categories are essential for selecting high-hazard storage density and area combinations. But broad headings like "paper", "paint" or "furniture" do not map to a single category. Annex C is a normative alphabetical list tying individual commodities to categories.
A critical caveat sits at the head of the table: the list applies where the packaging is no more hazardous than a carton or a single layer of corrugated board. That sentence draws the boundary. Where packaging includes plastic shrink, EPS corner blocks or foam infill, the commodity list alone is insufficient and the material factor annex takes over.
The workflow: finding the right category
On site we follow this sequence:
- Look the product up in the alphabetical list. Where there is no exact match, take the nearest product of similar combustibility.
- Read the comments column. The same product can sit in different categories depending on storage orientation (rolls flat or on end), packaging weight, or plastic content.
- Check the packaging. If it is worse than a carton or corrugated board, apply the material factor annex and step up a category where needed.
- Establish the storage configuration (ST1–ST6). The same category requires different density and area in block stacking (ST1) versus pallet racking (ST4).
- Check the special hazards annex. Aerosols, flammable liquids, plastic pallets, hanging garments and polypropylene containers go beyond the commodity list, and the special hazards annex governs.
Eighteen commonly encountered commodities
All values below come directly from the EN 12845 commodity annex.
| Commodity | Category | Storage note |
|---|---|---|
| Adhesive, solvent based | III | Flammable solvent, special protection |
| Adhesive, solvent free | I | Water based |
| Batteries, dry cell | II | — |
| Batteries, wet cell | II | Empty plastic accumulators need special protection |
| Corrugated board rolls, flat | III | — |
| Corrugated board rolls, on end | IV | Flue effect |
| Carpet tiles | III | — |
| Electrical appliances (≤ 5 % plastic) | I | Predominantly metal construction |
| Electrical appliances (other) | III | — |
| Electrical cable and wire | III | In-rack sprinklers required if racked |
| Furniture, timber | II | — |
| Glass fibre, unprocessed | I | — |
| Canned food | I | In cartons or trays |
| Mattresses, expanded plastic | IV | — |
| Mattresses, other | II | — |
| Paper, < 5 kg/100 m², rolls on end | IV | Tissue and toilet paper type |
| Paper, ≥ 5 kg/100 m², rolls flat | II | Newsprint type |
| Footwear (> 5 % plastic) | III | Sports shoe soles |
| Tyres, stored flat | IV | Special annex applies |
| Paraffin wax | IV | — |
| Wood wool, baled | IV | — |
Same product, different category: orientation and weight
The most confusing aspect of the commodity list is that the same product appears on several rows. The logic: the more freely the flame front can rise, the higher the category.
- Paper rolls: laid flat, Category II or III; standing on end, III or IV. In a roll on end, the core acts as a chimney.
- Bituminous paper: flat rolls II, upright rolls III.
- Roofing felt: flat II, upright III. Most builders' merchants stack felt upright, so the designer assumes II when it is actually III.
- Timber: ventilated (spaced) stacks III, tight stacks II. The air gap feeds the fire.
The plastic container exception: empty is worse than full
A small note on the wet cell battery row says empty plastic accumulators require special protection. That sentence heralds a much wider principle. Polypropylene and polyethylene storage containers are consistently classified as high-hazard storage Category IV in the special hazards annex, with the following conditions mandatory:
- On pallet racking (ST4), in-rack horizontal spacing no more than 1.5 m and vertical spacing no more than 2 m.
- Ceiling sprinkler sensitivity "special", in-rack "special" or "quick".
- In other storage arrangements, a maximum stack height of 3 m, lids fitted on containers, and steel pallets.
- Film-forming AFFF-type foam additive in the sprinkler water.
The logic is clear: liquid or granular contents absorb heat and delay ignition of the plastic wall. An empty container, with its high surface-to-volume ratio, releases fire load quickly. At a food filling plant, "we only store empty containers, the full ones went out" moves you not one category up but straight to Category IV plus foam.
The bridge to the material factor annex
The commodity annex gives you the base category. The material factor annex measures how much the packaging material and storage configuration raise fire severity, through factors M1 to M4. Category selection is incomplete without using both together.
A typical example: cosmetic cream in glass jars is not itself listed, but sits close to the "alcohol below 20 % in bottles" row, so Category I. If every jar is stocked on pallets with EPS corner blocks and plastic shrink, the material factor rises to M3 and it behaves in practice like Category III — and the density and area combination rises accordingly.
Field errors
- Assuming "cosmetics equals Category II". If aerosol deodorant sits in the same aisle, the aerosol annex applies, taking you to Category IV at 12.5–25 mm/min over 260–300 m².
- Overlooking plastic pallets. The client says "we use timber pallets"; on site you find a mixture. The plastic pallet annex sets out K115, 3 bar and a 60 minute fire compartment explicitly.
- Not asking about roll orientation. In printing and packaging plants the orientation changes seasonally, so the design must cover both scenarios — take the worse one.
- Guessing when the product is not listed. The list runs to more than 80 rows; check synonyms before concluding it is absent.
The NFPA equivalent
NFPA 13's commodity classification (Class I–IV plus Group A/B/C plastics) is the parallel, but structured differently. EN 12845 goes from product name to category; NFPA 13 assigns a class from the product's content — metal, predominantly carton, percentage plastic. A rough mapping:
- Category I ≈ NFPA Class I
- Category II ≈ Class II/III
- Category III ≈ Class IV or Group C plastics
- Category IV ≈ Group A plastics, expanded or unexpanded
There is no exact correspondence; on projects using both standards side by side, always take the more conservative.
Turkish context
BYKHY accepts NFPA 13 and EN 12845 for sprinklers but has no commodity classification list of its own, so on EN 12845 projects the commodity annex is the direct reference. Occupational safety inspections ask about the additional conditions in the special hazards annex for aerosols, lithium batteries and plastic pallet storage; relying on the commodity annex alone causes problems at inspection.
Frequently asked questions
What if the product is not in the list?
The list covers typical products packaged in cartons or single-layer corrugated board. Where a product is absent, take the category of a commodity with similar combustibility; if the packaging contains plastic or is more hazardous than board, reassess with the material factor annex and step up where needed.
What category applies to goods on plastic pallets?
Plastic pallets are covered separately. Unexpanded high-density polyethylene solid-deck pallets may take Category IV protection like timber pallets, while all other plastic pallets require additional conditions for rack protection — K115, 3 bar and a 60 minute fire compartment.
Why is an empty plastic container worse than a full one?
Empty containers ignite quickly because of their high surface-to-volume ratio and airflow, and release a great deal of heat. The special hazards annex classifies polypropylene and polyethylene storage containers as high-hazard Category IV throughout and requires a foam additive.
Why can the same product be both Category II and III?
For roll goods such as paper, board and corrugated board, storage orientation sets the category. Flat rolls are lower, upright rolls one category higher, because the flue effect in an upright roll lets flame rise faster.
How are the commodity and material factor annexes used together?
The commodity annex gives the base category; the material factor annex adds an M1–M4 factor for packaging and storage configuration. A Category II product in plastic packaging may behave like Category III or IV, and the density and area combination is raised accordingly.
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Download MEP Calc on the App StoreBS EN 12845:2015+A1:2019 Fixed firefighting systems — Automatic sprinkler systems. EN 12845-2:2024 (CMSA & ESFR sprinkler systems). NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. Turkish Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (BYKHY). FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 2-0.