How Do I Know if I Need a C1D1 or C1D2 Extraction Booth?
An extraction booth is a crucial component of your manufacturing process, and it will cost you time and money and cause you to be out of compliance if you don’t choose correctly. if you make the wrong decision it could also lead to an environment that has less than optimal safety features.
What is the difference between a C1D1 and C1D2 extraction booth? It’s important to know which one is required for what you will be doing. This can vary between industries and states. These classes and divisions are paired – depending on what the hazard is and how often it is present. For example, C1D1 represents hazardous gas that’s present during normal working conditions, while C1D2 is hazardous gasses that are present, but remain in a container or system under normal circumstances.
When any manufacturing or industrial production process requires hazardous materials, like the butane and other solvents used in cannabis processing, government regulations mandate the safety of those operations to protect employees and the other people in and around the business.
Why Are Hazardous Locations Classified as C1D1 and C1D2?
The classifications have to do with whether they could be a fire or explosion risk because of the materials that are there, or that would be created during an emergency. Because of that, they require special construction to incorporate equipment that adds to safety because of their design features. That might include something like flame arrestors that can shut off gas flow if a dangerous heat buildup occurs.
Other equipment that is specified includes types of wiring and other electrical components, fire suppression equipment, fire safety curtains, showers, first aid stations, and more.
When it comes to determining which one pertains to your cannabis extraction facility, the class and division has to do with the building and fire codes of the areas in which the flammable or potentially explosive gasses are used.
For example, butane and ethanol are frequently used in cannabis processing and can be volatile when exposed to heat and pressure.
A manufacturing or processing facility will have extensive C1D1 safety features to prevent accidents. For instance, live gas monitoring is a requirement that ensures the gasses released are removed from the space and that there are no sources for ignition like open flames and sparks from lighters nearby. The ventilation system must be capable of exhausting all gasses at appropriate levels when necessary for safety. If something goes wrong inside this zone, it can happen in isolation without affecting anything or anyone else on site.
A Class I, Division 1 Location (C1D1), according to OSHA, is one “in which ignitable concentrations of flammable gasses or vapors may exist under normal operating conditions; or in which ignitable concentrations of such gasses or vapors may frequently exist because of repair or maintenance operations or because of leakage; or in which breakdown or faulty operation of equipment or processes might release ignitable concentrations of flammable gasses or vapors, and might also cause simultaneous failure of electric equipment.”
A Class 1 Division 2 Location (C1D2) is a zone “in which volatile flammable liquids or flammable gasses are handled, processed, or used, but in which the hazardous liquids, vapors, or gasses will normally be confined within closed containers or closed systems from which they can escape only in case of accidental rupture or breakdown of such containers or systems, or in case of abnormal operation of equipment; or in which ignitable concentrations of gasses or vapors are normally prevented by positive mechanical ventilation, and which might become hazardous through failure or abnormal operations of the ventilating equipment; or that is adjacent to a Class I, Division 1 location, and to which ignitable concentrations of gasses or vapors might occasionally be communicated unless such communication is prevented by adequate positive-pressure ventilation from a source of clean air, and effective safeguards against ventilation failure are provided.”
So is Cannabis Processing C1D1 or C1D2 – it Depends
The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) prefers that each state create their own guidelines for cannabis extraction laboratories. However, it’s tricky for cannabis businesses because each state interprets these standards differently
Classifying A Cannabis Processing Business
So how do you determine whether a cannabis processing operation is C1D1 or C1D2? It’s related to what products are being made, what equipment is being used, and how much solvent is being stored at any given time. While some might think the classification is specific to only the type of solvent being used, it is not.
Whether an ethanol extraction process requires a C1D1 or C2D2 classification zone depends on what product, process, and step you’re discussing. If a company’s hemp or marijuana extraction is conducted in a manner that is unpressurized, it would require a C1D2 room. If it is performed using a pressurized vessel, it would be considered a C1D1 classification. Beyond that, it’s best to check with local officials to determine what will be acceptable to meet the applicable codes and requirements before ordering.