Wooden pallets boost fire safety?
December 1st 2007 According to the timber
packaging and pallet
confederation (TIMCON),
tests have shown that
plastic storage pallets can
present a severe fire
challenge even where the
goods stored are
completely inert. The tests
were carried out between
high density polyethylene
(HDPE) pallets and standard
2-way wooden ones. Three
levels of empty steel drums
were stored on four pallets
and were ignited by a small
amount of fuel. Once the
fuel had burnt out the
wooden pallets failed to
sustain the fire, but after
seven and a half minutes
the entire stack of plastic
pallets collapsed.
The HSL, agency of the
HSE, acknowledges that
although only one type of
plastic was used, there is an
increased fire hazard in
using plastic pallets
compared to timber ones.
Plastic pallets in stores
containing incombustible
but potentially dispersible
toxic materials, should be
controlled or eliminated. More articles from Timcon: | 
