In this post, we’ll explore the code requirements for storing spirits—high-proof alcohol or ethanol—in plastic containers, including portable totes (IBCs), plastic drums, and buckets or pails.
Many distilleries receive GNS or other imported spirits in these types of containers, yet the proper storage requirements are often overlooked. Understanding these rules is crucial for safety, compliance, and protecting your product.
IBC’s (Intermediate Bulk Containers), or totes, are a common feature in many distilleries. Many suppliers of bulk GNS deliver spirits in these types of containers, pictured below.
NFPA 30, Table 9.4.3 tells us maximum allowable sizes for several kinds of containers:
As shown in the table above, Rigid plastic IBCs are not permitted to contain any volume of class I flammable liquids.
This may come as a shock to many, who have likely seen these IBCs containing GNS all throughout the country. They are permitted to be delivered in such containers, which are subject to different Dept of Transportation regulations, but when they are stored in a building, they must follow the building and fire code standards, which do not permit spirits to be stored in IBCs.
GNS may also be delivered in smaller amounts in plastic drums, or spirits may be processed stored in these drums by the distillery. These type of drums are not listed in the table above. Instead, we find in NFPA 30 -9.4.3.1, the following passage:
Essentially, we can have up to 60 gallons of spirits in plastic drums. 16.5.2.7 tells us max storage heights for this, and mandates sprinkler protection as shown below:
Table 9.4.3 from NFPA 30, shown above lists we can have up to 5.3 gallons in “Polyethylene UN1H1 and UN1H2” containers. These are essentially plastic buckets, with a commonly found UN rating, such as the following bucket example:
