Code of practice for fire safety of industrial buildings: Cotton ginning and pressing (including cotton seed delivering)factories
1988 Edition

According to IS 2726, the minimum separation distances for storage are as follows: Kapas and ginned cotton should be kept at least 30 meters away from factories and godowns. If pneumatic conveyors are used, limited kapas may be stored near the gin house but must be no closer than 6 meters. Fully pressed bales require a minimum 30-meter distance from pressing houses, gin houses, or open cotton/kapas storage. Heaps of kapas, cotton, or linters should not exceed 10,000 kilograms in weight, have a maximum height of 2 meters, and be spaced at least 6 meters apart. Loose cotton must be stored at a minimum distance of 30 meters from kapas or pressed bales. These measures ensure fire safety and operational efficiency during storage.

IS 2726 recommends two main construction types: Type I construction, as per IS 1642:1988, is designated for godowns storing cotton seeds, kapas, ginned cotton, linters, and pressed bales, offering moderate fire resistance. Type II construction, also under IS 1642:1988, is required for buildings where kapas is cleaned, ginned, or pressed, as well as for store godowns, engine rooms, and transformer houses, providing enhanced fire resistance and structural strength. Additionally, goods stored in open areas should be placed on platforms raised at least 25 cm above ground level to prevent moisture damage.

To minimize fire hazards, IS 2726 specifies that machinery should be arranged to prevent cotton fibers, kapas, or cotton seeds from accessing moving parts, thereby reducing friction and ignition potential. Factories should be located in isolated compounds, preferably outside municipal boundaries and near paved roads to facilitate swift fire brigade access. Adequate lighting of at least 100 lux must be maintained in ginning, delintering, and pressing sections to ensure visibility during emergencies. Regular maintenance of buildings, machinery, and electrical systems is vital to avoid faults that could cause fires.

IS 2726 mandates that fire hydrant pumps have a minimum flow rate of 1800 litres per minute and a pressure of at least 7 kgf/cm². Pumps should be situated at least 15 meters from buildings and 90 meters from storage zones. Hydrant distribution requires at least two hydrants within 35 meters of every storage area, two hydrants within 15 meters of cotton or kapas godowns, and three hydrants within 3 meters of pressing, ginning, or delintering houses. Underground mains must be a minimum of 100 mm in diameter, with branches at least 80 mm, designed to maintain 7 kgf/cm² pressure at the furthest point. Each hydrant should be equipped with two hoses (63.5 mm diameter, 15 meters long) and at least one 19 mm nozzle, preferably a fog type.

Essential housekeeping protocols include removing all sweepings from gin houses, delintering rooms, and press houses before nightfall. Seed alleys should be cleaned every four hours during operations, while machinery, walls, floors, roofs, and platforms require cleaning at least once weekly. It is critical to avoid accumulation of oily, greasy cotton waste and cotton seeds, which are prone to spontaneous combustion. Factory layout and storage should be planned to segregate kapas, cotton seeds, waste cotton, and pressed bales to limit fire spread. Fire warning systems must be audible and visually marked with fire-red color (IS:5-1978, Shade No. 536), and fire-fighting equipment such as galvanized steel buckets, portable dry powder extinguishers, and unlined flax canvas hoses should be readily available.