What is an example of ordinary hazard?

• A. Apartment lobby
• B. Parking garage
• C. Mall storefront
• D. Residential kitchen

Answer: (B)

Ordinary hazard covers spaces with more fuel and ignition sources than a simple, light-risk area, but not the extreme risk of an extra-hazard space. A parking garage fits this category because it contains large quantities of flammable liquids (gasoline, oils) and fuel-loaded vehicles, plus ignition sources from electrical equipment, hot surfaces, and vehicle components. The fuel load and potential ignition events are substantial, yet they don’t reach the level of hazards seen in spaces designated as extra hazard, so sprinkler design uses the ordinary-hazard approach.

An apartment lobby, mall storefront, or residential kitchen generally presents a lower or more localized fuel load and fewer sustained ignition risks, placing them outside the ordinary-hazard designation in typical practice.