This presentation will provide an overview of fire protection and life safety Code compliance in cannabis facilities with a focus on NFPA 1: Fire Code, 2021 Chapter 38: Cannabis Growing, Processing, or Extraction Facilities. The presentation will focus on processing and extraction facilities from a fire and life safety standpoint. Factors such as hazardous materials, hazardous processes, fire and gas detection and alarm, hazardous exhaust and ventilation analysis, electrical hazard classification, egress, and active and passive fire protection will be considered.

Examples of items covered include: third party reviews of equipment and Code compliance as required by Chapter 38 of NFPA 1; Analysis of ventilation requirements and dilution air to prevent a space from reaching or exceeding the LEL of flammable liquids chemicals used; and hydrocarbon extraction enclosure design considerations. Audiences will leave with an understanding of the major Code concepts at play in this rapidly evolving industry.

Speaker: Connor Ross, MSFPE, PE

Connor Ross is a licensed Fire Protection Professional Engineer at RAN Fire Protection Engineering and a graduate of the FPE M.Sc. graduate program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is experienced in the design and specification of fire protection systems, as well as Life Safety and Code consulting, including the evaluation of cannabis extraction and processing facilities. Mr. Ross has worked in fire protection design on commercial, healthcare, industrial, higher education, residential, aviation, and military buildings.  He has designed such fire protection and life safety systems as fire alarm, mass notification, gas detection, fire pump, sprinkler/standpipe, water spray, dry chemical, CO2, and clean agent systems.  He has experience in both new and existing facilities. Mr. Ross’s knowledge of National, State, and NFPA Codes makes him an expert in fire protection and life safety code analysis.