Fire, Building and
Building System Codes Affecting Laboratories
Overview (top)
States or municipalities may develop their own codes or may adopt
specific codes from a number of agencies. Recently, three major agencies; BOCA
(Building Officials and Code Administrators), the ICBO (International Conference of
Building Officials) and the SBCCI (Southern Building Code Congress International)
consolidated services, products and operations into the International Code Council.
The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) has over 300 codes that relate mainly
to fire safety.
Code Agencies and Associations
(top)
The International Code Council
(ICC)
The International Code Council was created in 1994 by BOCA (Building
Officials and Code Administrators), the ICBO (International Conference of Building
Officials) and the SBCCI (Southern Building Code Congress International) to develop a
single set of comprehensive, coordinated model construction codes that could be used
throughout the United States and around the world. The ICC website has a map showing which states have
adopted or are in the process of adopting one or more of the international codes.
The first I-Code published was the 1995 International Plumbing Code. By
2000, a complete family of 11 construction codes was available. The CC Performance
Code for Buildings and Facilities joined the I-Code family in 2001. The members
of the three organizations have now voted to consolidate services, products and operations
into the International Code Council. The new ICC commenced operations in January
2003.
ICC Evaluation Service - ICC-ES
is a nonprofit, public-benefit corporation that does technical evaluations of building
products, components, methods, and materials. The evaluation process culminates with the
issuance of reports on code compliance, which are made available free of charge, on the
worldwide Web, to building regulators, contractors, specifiers, architects, engineers, and
anyone else with an interest in the building industry and construction.
NFPA National Fire Protection
Association
ANSI American National Standards
Institute
ASHRAE American Society of
Conditioning Engineers Heating and Air
ASTM American
Society of Testing and Materials
NIST The National Institute of
Standards and Technology
UL Underwriters Laboratories
Americans With
Disabilities Act
Trade/Professional Organizations
(top)
IAPMO International Association of
Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
Law: Construction Law Review
NCMA National Concrete Masonry
Association
AWCI Association of Wall and Ceiling
Industries
CERL U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Construction Research Engineering Laboratories
Access for People With Disabilities
(top)
ICC/ANSI
A 117.1 Standard on Accessible and Useable Buildings and Facilities
ADA Standards for Accessible Design, US Department of Justice
Building Codes
(top)
ICC Update – Laboratory Issues Code Changes/Proposals/Trends of Interest, 10/2005 Ken Kretchman
International
Building Code, 2006
NFPA 5000: Building Construction and Safety Code, 2003 Edition
Code Updates
(top)
ICC Update: Laboratory Issues Code Changes/Proposals/Trends of Interest - June 2007, Ken Kretchman
2005 ICC Public
Hearing and Final Action Hearing Results, Ken Kretchman
Electrical
(top)
UL 61010A-1,
Electrical Equipment for Laboratory Use, Part 1, General Requirements
UL 61010A-2-051- Electrical
Equipment for Laboratory Use; Part 2: Particular Requirements for Laboratory Equipment for
Mixing and Stirring
NFPA National
Electrical Code and handbook
International Code Council Electrical Code
Energy (top)
NFPA 900 -
Building Energy Code
International Energy Conservation Code
Fire
(top)
2006 International Fire Code
NFPA 45 - Standard on
Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals, 2004
NFPA 30 - Flammable
and Combustible Liquids Code, 2008
Flammable and Combustible Liquids 29 CFR 1910.106, Lab Safety Supply EZ Facts
International
Fire Code Council of the International Code Committee - contains administrative text
necessary to administer and enforce the referenced National Electrical Code
NFPA 101 Life Safety
Code and Handbook
Hazardous Materials (top)
BOCA 1996 and IBC 2000 provide limitations on hazardous materials
based on number of control areas and floor in the building. These limitations apply to
permitted amounts of flammable materials, combustible materials, highly toxics, pyrophoric
materials and a number of other classes of hazardous materials. These two building codes
are very similar with regard to the permitted limits for hazardous materials in buildings.
Information on use group B limits is covered in the powerpoint presentation Derivation
of Acceptable Quantities of Hazardous Chemicals for Use and Storage in Research
Laboratories. P. Harnett, COEH, Inc., Ringoes, NJ; L. Tatsch, ProLab Solutions,
Inc., Ringoes, NJ.
NFPA 58 Liquified Petroleum Gas Code and Handbook
NFPA 704: Standard for the Identification of the Fire Hazards of Materials
for Emergency Response, 2001 Edition
2003 International Fuel Gas Code
Mechanical
(top)
ANSI/AIHA
Z9.5 - 2003 Standard for Laboratory Ventilation. The 1992 version was
revised in 2003.
International
Mechanical Code - The International
Mechanical Code comprehensively regulates mechanical systems and equipment including HVAC,
exhaust systems, chimneys and vents, ducts, appliances, boilers, water heaters,
refrigeration, hydronic piping and solar systems
ASHRAE 110-1995 Method of Testing the Performance of
Laboratory Hoods- Can be ordered through the ASHRAE
online bookstore.
ACGIH Industrial Ventilation
Manual, 26th Edition, 2007. Information on supply air effects, recommended face
velocities, work practices, perchloric acid hoods, and biological safety cabine
NFPA
45 - Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals, 2004 edition,
Chapter 8 is titled Laboratory Ventilating Systems and Hood Requirements. This document outlines the maximum allowable quantities of liquids and gases, as
well as requirements for laboratory ventilating systems and chemical fume hoods.
Revisions to the 2004 edition
include:
New requirement for all new laboratories to have an automatic fire
extinguishing system
Clarification of the scope that labs containing either the minimum
quantity of flammable and combustible liquids or gas would qualify the lab for coverage
under NFPA 45 . Clarification is also made that the minimum quantity of gas does not
include low-pressure utility gas in accordance with NFPA 54 .
New requirements defining and regulating pressurized liquid
dispensing containers
Expanded advisory material on biological safety cabinets and
recognition of listed Class II, Type B2 biological safety cabinets in lieu of chemical
fume hoods under certain circumstances
Clarification of requirements for liquid dispensing
Consolidation of all flammable and combustible liquids requirements
into one chapter
Expanded requirements and advisory information for compressed and
liquefied gases.
Maximum quantity requirements are clarified for outside cylinder
storage.
Hazardous Exhaust System
Requirements (top)
Hazardous Exhaust Systems have fire surpressions systems within
them. There are also restrictions on ducting incompatible chemicals through the same
system and on manifolding.
International Mechanical Code requirements for Hazardous Exhaust
Systems are contained in Section 510. The requirements in this section contradict
wording in NFPA 45 - 2002 which indicate that automatic fire protection systems in hoods
is not required except for existing hoods where flammable liquids are handled and
which have interiors with a flame spread index greater than 25 and in the recently
revised ANSI/AIHA
Z9.5 Standard for Laboratory Ventilation which indicates that laboratory hood exhaust
systems shall not be classified as hazardous exhaust systems.
The 2000 International Mechanical Code contains requirements for
hazardous exhaust systems as follows:
Section 510.2 Where required. A hazardous exhaust system shall be required wherever operations involving the handling or processing of hazardous materials, in the
absence of such exhaust systems and under normal operating conditions, have the potential
to create one of the following conditions:
1. A flammable vapor, gas, fume, mist or dust is present in concentrations
exceeding 25 percent of the lower flammability limit of the substance for the expected
room temperature.
2. A vapor, gas, fume, mist or dust with a health-hazard rating of 4
is present in any concentration
3. A vapor, gas, fume, mist or dust with a health-hazard rating of 1, 2 or 3
is present in concentrations exceeding 1 percent of the median lethal concentration of the
substance for acute inhalation toxicity.
Empirical Data and Modeling of a Flammable Spill in a Chemical Fume Hood Do
Not Support the Need for Fire Suppression Within the Chemical Fume Hood.
(Powerpoint Presentation presented at the 2002 AIHCE) P. Harnett, M. Greenhalgh,
COEH, Inc., Ringoes, NJ.
Plumbing (top)
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical
Officials
NFPA
25: Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection
Systems, 2002 edition
States: Codes Adopted By (top)
Status
of State Energy Codes, US Department of Energy
Energy Codes by
State, Building Codes Assistance Project. The Building Codes
Assistance Project is a joint initiative of the Alliance to
Save Energy, the American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy, and the Natural Resources
Defense Council.
California Building Standards
Commission
Indiana Codes
Kentucky
Building Codes
Massachusetts
Construction Regulations Office of Community Development Building Division
NJ:
Construction Codes Adopted In NJ NJ Department of Community Affairs
North Carolina Codes
and Regulations.
Oregon Building
Codes Division
Pennsylvania Building Codes
Revision Date: January 9, 2008
url: http://www2.umdnj.edu/eohssweb/aiha/technical/codes.htm
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