Section 453

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.

The following terms are defined in Chapter 2:

LABORATORY SUITE.

[F] LIQUID TIGHT FLOOR.

453.3.1 The gross floor area of an individual laboratory suite shall not exceed 10,000 square feet (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.

453.4.1 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.

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.

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SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY AND USE

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.

Exception: The area size for spill mitigation supplies may be reduced by the fire code official when adequate supplies are provided. 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.

penetrates the laboratory suite boundary the exhaust duct shall be located within a horizontal or vertical assembly having 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