Supplementary Legal Guide

Fire Service Act Occupancy Classification: Category 14 (Warehouses)

Definition & Target Facilities of Category 14 (Warehouses)

Item	Details
Primary Target Facilities	Commercial warehouses, private in-house warehouses, storage sheds, indoor material yards, etc[cite: 25].
Fire Code Classification	Non-Specified Fire Prevention Object (Facilities without general public access)[cite: 25]

* If located on the same site or inside the same building as factories (Category 13) or offices (Category 15), the primary occupancy and compartmentation determine whether it is treated under Category 14 or as a Mixed-Use Building (Category 16)[cite: 25].

Primary Fire Protection Systems Required for Category 14 (Warehouses)

Because warehouses store high combustible loads despite low occupant counts, automated fire detection and early suppression systems are heavily emphasized[cite: 25].

• Fire Extinguishers & Appliances: Mandated for facilities with gross floor area ≥50 m²[cite: 25].
• Automatic Fire Alarm Systems: Mandated for floor areas ≥500 m² in principle (thresholds are lowered for windowless or high-rise floors)[cite: 25].
• Indoor Fire Hydrants: Mandated for floor areas ≥700 m² (or ≥1,000 m² depending on fireproof construction)[cite: 25].
• Fire Sprinkler Systems: Mandated for large-scale warehouses with floor areas ≥6,000 m² (rack-supported warehouses are subject to specialized height and structural regulations)[cite: 25].

Key Compliance Considerations for Modern Mega-Logistics Hubs

Modern large-scale logistics centers and e-commerce fulfillment hubs frequently cannot be treated purely as standalone Category 14 "Warehouses"[cite: 25].

1. Classification as Mixed-Use Buildings (Category 16):
   When warehouse space (Category 14) is co-located with large administrative offices (Category 15), worker cafeterias, or sorting processing areas (Category 13), the facility is classified as a Mixed-Use Building (Category 16), triggering stricter fire code standards[cite: 25].
2. Hazardous Material Warehouses (Separate Standards):
   Warehouses storing hazardous goods (e.g., Category 4 petroleum under the Hazardous Materials Safety Act) are exempt from Category 14 and strictly governed by dedicated Hazardous Material Facility Standards[cite: 25].