Join us for the NCN SFPE Virtual Lunch and Learn!

Free for members. $10 for non-members.

Presentation Title: Hazardous Materials: An Overview

Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm noon PST
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free for members / $10 for non-members

Registration will close on September 29th.  The Zoom meeting link will be emailed to you no later than 9 am the day of the event.

Presentation Summary:

Introducing hazardous materials brings code requirements for occupancy, height and area, ventilation, and containment. This session is an overview of how fire protection engineers classify physical and health hazards, decide when a control area is still enough or when the space becomes Group H, and apply CBC 414/415 and CFC Chapter 50. Topics include fail-safe process controls, indoor versus outdoor control areas, spill control versus secondary containment, and the material types common in labs: flammable and combustible liquids, aerosols, flammable solids, water reactives and pyrophorics, compressed gases, cryogens, corrosives, toxics, and explosives.

Presenter Bio:
Ian De Vries is a Fire Protection Engineer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His experience with hazardous materials at the Lab includes safe storage practices and use in the laboratory environment, with an emphasis on water-reactive and pyrophoric materials. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Ian is a registered Professional Engineer in California and an ICC certified Fire Plans Examiner and Fire Inspector. He is the current acting President of the Northern California-Nevada SFPE chapter.