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Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED

Section 453

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

453.1 Scope.

The provisions of this section shall apply to buildings or structures, or portions thereof, containing one or more Group L laboratory suites as defined in Section 202.

The provisions of this section are optional and may apply to buildings or structures. See Section 304 for Group B Labo- ratories.

453.1.1 Technical report. The enforcing agency may require a technical opinion and report to identify and

develop methods of protection from the hazards presented by the hazardous materials. A qualified person, firm or corporation, approved by the enforcing agency, shall pre- pare the opinion and report, and shall be provided without charge to the enforcing agency. The opinion and report may include, but is not limited to, the preparation of a haz- ardous material management plan (HMMP); chemical analysis; recommendations for methods of isolation, sepa- ration, containment or protection of hazardous materials or processes, including appropriate engineering controls to be applied; the extent of changes in the hazardous behavior to be anticipated under conditions of exposure to fire or from hazard control procedures; and the limita- tions or conditions of use necessary to achieve and main- tain control of the hazardous materials or operations. The report shall be entered into the files of the code enforce- ment agencies. Proprietary and trade secret information shall be protected under the laws of the state or jurisdic- tion having authority.

453.2 Definitions.

The following terms are defined in Chapter 2:

LABORATORY SUITE.

[F] LIQUID TIGHT FLOOR.

453.3 Laboratory suite requirements.

453.3.1 The gross floor area of an individual laboratory suite shall not exceed 10,000 sq ft (929 m 2 ).

453.3.2 An individual laboratory suite shall not serve more than a single tenant.

Exception: An individual laboratory suite shall have a responsible party or department for all hazardous materials within a suite.

453.4 Construction

453.4.1 Separation of laboratory suites.

453.4.1.1 Laboratory suites shall be separated from other occupancies in accordance with Table 508.4.

453.4.1.2 Laboratory suites shall be separated from other laboratory suites by a fire barrier having a fire- resistance rating of not less than 1-hour.

453.4.1.3 Laboratory suites shall be separated from control areas by a minimum 2-hour fire-resistance rat- ing in accordance with Sections 707 and 711.

Exception: Laboratory suites shall be separated from control areas by a minimum 1-hour fire-resis- tance rating on floor levels below the 4 th story.

453.4.1.4 Horizontal separation. The floor construc- tion of the laboratory suite and the construction sup- porting the floor of the laboratory suite shall have a minimum 2-hour fire-resistance rating in accordance with Section 711.

Exceptions:

1. The floor construction of the laboratory suite and the construction supporting the floor of the laboratory suite are allowed to be 1-hour fire-resistance rated in buildings of Type IIA, IIIA and VA construction.

Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.

100735044

453.4.6.1 Required systems. Standby power shall be provided for all electrically operated equipment, sys- tems and connected control circuits including:

1. Mechanical ventilation systems. See Section 453.4.7.2.

2. Temperature control systems required to prevent unsafe process excursions or chemical reactions.

3. Treatment systems and scrubbers.

4. Emergency Responder Radio Coverage (ERRCS). See Section 510 of the California Fire Code.

SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY AND USE

2. When an individual laboratory suite occupies more than one story, the intermediate floors contained within the suite shall comply with the requirements of Table 601.

453.4.2 Reserved.

453.4.3 Fire barrier and fire-smoke barrier.

453.4.3.1 Fire barrier. A fire barrier having a fire resistance rating of not less than 2-hours shall divide any story containing more than one laboratory suite on the 4 th story and above.

453.4.3.1.1 Fire barriers shall be continuous from exterior wall to exterior wall,

453.4.3.1.2 The fire barrier shall divide the floor so that the square footage on each side of the 2-hour fire barrier is not less than 30 percent of the total floor area, and

453.4.3.1.3 The number of laboratory suites on each side of the 2-hour fire barrier shall not be less than 25 percent of the total number of laboratory suites on the floor.

453.4.3.2 Fire-smoke barrier. Any story containing a Group L occupancy on the 11 th story and above shall be subdivided by a fire-smoke barrier constructed as a fire barrier having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours and shall also comply with the smoke barrier requirements of Section 709.

The 2-hour fire-smoke barrier shall be in accor- dance with Sections 453.4.3 through 453.4.3.2.3.

453.4.3.2.1 A minimum of one door opening shall be provided in the 2-hour fire-smoke barrier for emer- gency access.

453.4.3.2.2 Each side of the 2-hour fire-smoke bar- rier shall be designed as a separate smoke zone designed in accordance with Section 909.6.

453.4.3.2.3 The area on each side of the 2-hour fire- smoke barrier shall be served by a minimum of one exit enclosure in accordance with Section 1022.

453.4.4 Emergency response equipment area. When required by the fire code official, an area for emergency response equipment shall be provided on each floor in an approved location. The area shall be a minimum of 50 square feet (4.6 m 2 ), for spill mitigation supplies per Cali- fornia Fire Code 5001.3.3.4 in a location approved by the fire code official, and identified with signage.

453.4.5 Liquid tight floor. All portions of the laboratory suite where hazardous materials may be stored, dispensed, handled or used shall be provided with a liquid tight floor. The intersections of such floors shall have an integral coved base that extends upward onto the wall not less than 2 inches. Where the floor is designed to provide spill con- trol or secondary containment the floor shall be designed in accordance with California Fire Code Section 5004.2.

453.4.6 Secondary power systems. A legally required standby power system shall have an automatic transfer time of not more than 10 seconds.

5. Electrically operated systems required elsewhere in this code and the California Fire Code.

453.4.7 Ventilation.

453.4.7.1 Compatibility. Incompatible materials shall not be conveyed in the same duct system. Combined products in mechanical exhaust ducts shall not create a physical hazard or reaction that could degrade the duct material. The building official may require a technical report in accordance with Section 453.7.1.

453.4.7.2 Fire dampers, smoke dampers and combina- tion fire/smoke dampers. Fire dampers, smoke damp- ers or fire/smoke dampers shall not be permitted in mechanical exhaust duct systems used to maintain a safe laboratory environment. When the exhaust duct penetrates the laboratory suite boundary the exhaust duct shall be located within a horizontal assembly hav- ing a fire resistance rating equal to the fire barrier.

453.4.7.3 Reserved.

453.4.7.4 Laboratory suite exhaust air.

453.4.7.4.1 Exhaust air from laboratory suites shall not be recirculated.

453.4.7.4.2 Laboratory suite exhaust air shall be independently ducted to a point outside the building or an approved roof top structure.

Exception: Exhaust ducts serving separate labo- ratory suites may be connected to a common duct within a fire rated vertical shaft when the sub- duct extends vertically upward at least 22 inches.

453.4.7.4.3 Laboratory suite exhaust ducts shall not penetrate the fire barriers required by Section 453.4.1.

Exception: Where the exhaust duct is enclosed in a rated shaft in accordance with Section 713.

453.4.7.5 Ventilation rates. Mechanical exhaust venti- lation systems shall provide a minimum ventilation rate not less than 1 cubic feet per minute per square foot

[0.00508 m 3 / (s·m 2 )] of floor area, or 6 air exchanges per hour, whichever is greater. Systems shall operate continuously at the designed ventilation rate .

Exception: Refer to California Fire Code Section

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  6. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  7. ▸Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED
    Overview
    1. Section 401
    2. Section 402
    3. Section 403
    4. Section 404
    5. Section 405
    6. Section 406
    7. Section 407
    8. Section 408
    9. Section 409
    10. Section 410
    11. Section 411
    12. Section 412
    13. Section 413
    14. Section 414
    15. Section 415
    16. Section 416
    17. Section 417
    18. Section 418
    19. Section 419
    20. Section 420
    21. Section 422
    22. Section 421
    23. Section 424
    24. Section 423
    25. Section 425
    26. Section 427
    27. Section 435
    28. Section 436
    29. Section 437
    30. Section 438
    31. Section 440
    32. Section 441
    33. Section 442
    34. Section 443
    35. Section 444
    36. Section 445
    37. Section 446
    38. Section 447
    39. Section 448
    40. Section 449
    41. Section 450
    42. Section 451
    43. Section 452
    44. Section 453
    45. Section 454
    46. Section 455
  8. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  9. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  10. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  11. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  13. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  14. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  15. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  16. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  17. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  18. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  19. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  20. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  22. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  25. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  26. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  27. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  28. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  29. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  30. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  31. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  32. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  33. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  34. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  35. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  36. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  37. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  38. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  39. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  40. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  41. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  42. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  43. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  44. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  45. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  46. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  47. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  48. Appendix H — SIGNS
  49. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  50. Appendix J — GRADING
  51. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  52. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix O — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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