Identify each tank or coating process and the liquid it uses, then trace its location, ventilation, drying equipment, fire protection, drainage or overflow, and classified electrical areas through every discipline. AI can flag conflicts; the designer and the authority having jurisdiction decide compliance.
What does NFPA 34 cover?
NFPA 34 is the Standard for Dipping, Coating, and Printing Processes Using Flammable or Combustible Liquids. NFPA describes it as promoting industrial fire safety by providing safeguards to mitigate fire and explosion hazards of dipping, coating, and printing processes that use flammable or combustible liquids.
NFPA’s official NFPA 34 page identifies the 2024 edition as current when checked on October 5, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
Spray finishing is a separate subject covered by the NFPA 33 spray application guide, and the storage of the liquids themselves usually follows the NFPA 30 flammable liquids guide. Ovens that dry or cure the coated product follow the NFPA 86 oven and furnace guide. Record which document governs each part of the line.
Start from the process line and the liquids it uses
Bring the process layout and vendor drawings, the equipment list with tank and coater tags, the safety data sheets or a liquids list, the mechanical ventilation and exhaust drawings, the fire protection drawings for any fixed system over the tank or line, the plumbing or process drawings for drains and overflows, the electrical hazardous area classification drawings, and the specifications.
Note the liquid, its quantity in the process, and where it is stored and transferred. Those details drive the questions on every other sheet.
Follow each tank and coating process through the set
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Process equipment | Vendor drawings, equipment list, process layout | Reconcile each tank, coater, or press and its tag across the vendor and building drawings. |
| Liquids | Liquids list, specifications, process narrative | Confirm the same liquid is named for each process in every source. |
| Ventilation and exhaust | Mechanical plans, fan schedule, vendor data | Check that each process has drawn exhaust and that the fan schedule matches the vendor’s stated connection. |
| Fire protection | Fire protection plans, vendor drawings, specifications | Identify tanks or lines where the specifications call for protection the drawings do not show. |
| Drains and overflow | Process or plumbing drawings, vendor data, details | Trace any overflow or emergency drain to a drawn destination. |
| Electrical areas | Classification drawings, process layout, lighting and power plans | Compare classified area boundaries with the equipment locations and the devices drawn inside them. |
Carry exhaust ductwork into the NFPA 91 process exhaust guide, classified areas into the NFPA 70 electrical guide, and the plant into the manufacturing project review.
Example: a dip tank without an overflow
Hypothetical example. The vendor drawings show a dip tank with an overflow connection, and the specifications call for an emergency drain. The process piping drawings show the tank’s supply and return only, and the electrical classification drawing places the tank outside the classified area drawn around the line.
The vendor drawings and specifications call for an overflow and emergency drain at the dip tank, but the process piping drawings show neither, and the classified area does not include the tank. Please confirm the drain arrangement and the classified area boundary.
The designer coordinates the vendor and building drawings. Whether the arrangement meets the adopted standard is the designer’s and authority’s decision.
Review a coating or printing line with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 34 reference from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it. State the edition, amendments, review area, and known exclusions in your instructions.
Compare the process layout and vendor drawings, equipment list, liquids list, ventilation and exhaust drawings, fire protection drawings, process and drain piping, electrical classification drawings, and specifications. Flag equipment, liquids, exhaust, protection, drains, and electrical areas that differ between sources. Use the supplied NFPA 34 edition where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets behind it. It compares the documents with each other and with the references you supply; it does not classify liquids or areas.
Document review does not size ventilation, drains, or fire protection, classify hazardous areas, or approve the process. Those decisions remain with the designer and the authority having jurisdiction.