Section 424 Nonproduction Chemical Laboratories

The provisions of this section shall govern the design, construction and chemical quantity limitations of buildings and portions thereof occupied or designed to be occupied as a nonproduction laboratory. Nonproduction laboratories shall be classified into occupancy groups in accordance with Section 424.5. The provisions of this section shall not apply to production laboratories classified in Occupancy Group F or H.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, nonproduction laboratories shall meet the design, construction and chemical quantity limitation requirements for laboratory unit fire hazard Class D, as set forth in NFPA 45, and the New York City Mechanical Code. The storage arrangement, handling and use of chemicals within nonproduction laboratories and accessory storage rooms, and the operation and maintenance of nonproduction laboratories shall comply with the requirements of the New York City Fire Code, and the rules of the fire commissioner.

It shall be unlawful in any nonproduction laboratory to:

1. Store or use any explosive.
2. Store or use any unclassified detonable organic peroxide, detonable pyrophoric material, detonable unstable (reactive) material or detonable water-reactive material.
3. Store or use any Class 4 unstable (reactive) material.
4. Store or use any Class 4 oxidizing material.
5. Store or use any flammable gas below grade.

The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this section, and as used elsewhere in this code, have the meanings shown herein.

LABORATORY BUILDING. A structure consisting wholly or principally of one or more laboratory units.

LABORATORY CHEMICAL. A material with a health, flammability, or instability hazard rating of 2, 3, or 4 as defined in NFPA 704.

LABORATORY, NONPRODUCTION. A building or portion thereof wherein chemicals or gases are used or synthesized on a nonproduction basis for testing, research, experimental, instructional or educational purposes.

LABORATORY UNIT. An enclosed space of a minimum 1-hour fire-rated construction, designed or used as a nonproduction laboratory. Laboratory units may include one or more separate laboratory work areas, and accessory storage rooms or spaces within or contiguous with the laboratory unit, such as offices and lavatories.

STORAGE CABINET. A cabinet designed and constructed in accordance with UL 1275, and used for the storage of not more than 60 gallons (227 L) of flammable and combustible liquids.

STORAGE ROOM. A room where laboratory chemicals or gases are stored and not otherwise used or synthesized.

Buildings or portions thereof occupied as a nonproduction laboratory may be classified as a Group B occupancy provided they comply with the provisions of Section 424. Nonproduction laboratories not in compliance with the provisions of Section 424.7 for laboratory chemical quantity limitations shall be classified as Group H occupancy.

Accessory use nonproduction laboratories occupying an area not more than 10 percent of the area of the story in which such laboratories are located and not exceeding the tabular values in Table 503 for the allowable height or area for such use shall be classified according to the main occupancy. Such accessory nonproduction laboratories shall comply with the provisions of Section 424.

Laboratory units shall be provided throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1. The entire building shall be provided throughout with an automatic sprinkler system when the aggregate floor area of all laboratory units within any building exceeds 20,000 square feet (1858 m²).

In all nonproduction laboratory buildings that are two or more stories above or below the grade level (level of exit discharge), standpipes shall be installed in accordance with Section 905.2.

A manual fire alarm system shall be installed in accordance with Section 907.2.2, 907.2.3, or 907.2.6, as applicable.

The density and total quantity of flammable and combustible liquids allowed within a laboratory unit, outside of storage rooms, shall comply with Table 10.1.1 of NFPA 45 for laboratory unit fire hazard Class D.

Exceptions: The following exceptions apply to other than educational or instructional laboratories:

1. The density of flammable and combustible liquids allowed within a laboratory unit may be increased to those set forth in Table 10.1.1 of NFPA 45 for laboratory unit fire hazard Class B provided the total quantity of flammable and combustible liquid, including any in storage cabinets or safety cans, does not exceed 25 gallons (95 L).
2. The density of flammable and combustible liquids allowed within a laboratory unit may be increased to those set forth in Table 10.1.1 of NFPA 45 for laboratory unit fire hazard Class B provided the total quantity of flammable and combustible liquid, including any in storage cabinets or safety cans, does not exceed 30 gallons (114 L) and the walls, floors and ceilings of the laboratory unit are separated from all adjoining areas by 2-hour fire-rated construction.
3. Based on a density of 1 gallon per 100 square feet (3.785 L per 9.3 m²) of area, the quantity of flammable and combustible liquid allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding quantities in storage cabinets or safety cans, may be increased to 100 gallons (379 L), and the total quantities of flammable and combustible liquids, including quantities in storage cabinets or safety cans, may be increased to 200 gallons (775 L) provided the walls, floors and ceilings of the laboratory unit are separated from all adjoining areas by 2-hour fire-rated construction.

The total quantity of flammable solids allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantities in a storage room, shall not exceed 10 pounds (4.5 kg).

Exception: The total quantity of flammable solids allowed within a laboratory unit that is provided with walls, floors and ceilings that separate the laboratory unit from all adjoining areas by 2-hour fire-rated construction shall not exceed 15 pounds (6.8 kg).

The total quantity of solid and liquid oxidizers and organic peroxides combined allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantities in a storage room, shall not exceed 40 pounds (18 kg), provided not more than 2 pounds (0.908 kg) of which are Class 3 oxidizers and 1 pound (0.454 kg) of which is Class I organic peroxides.

Exception: The total quantity of solid and liquid oxidizers and organic peroxides combined allowed within a laboratory unit that is provided with walls, floors and ceilings that separate the laboratory unit from all adjoining areas by 2-hour fire rated construction shall not exceed 50 pounds (23 kg), provided not more than 2 pounds (0.908 kg) of which is Class 3 oxidizers and 1 pound (0.454 kg) of which are Class I organic peroxides.

The total quantity of unstable (reactive) material allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantities in a storage room, shall not exceed 6 pounds (2.7 kg), provided not more than 1 pound (0.454 kg) of which is Class 3 unstable (reactive).

Exception: The total quantity of unstable (reactive) material allowed within a laboratory unit that is provided with walls, floors and ceilings that separate the laboratory unit from all adjoining areas by 2-hour fire-rated construction shall not exceed 12 pounds (5.4 kg), provided not more than 1 pound (0.454 kg) of which is Class 3 unstable (reactive).

The total quantity of water reactive material allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantities in a storage room, shall not exceed 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg).

Exception: The total quantity of water-reactive material allowed within a laboratory unit that is provided with walls, floors and ceilings that separate the laboratory unit from all adjoining areas by 2-hour fire-rated construction shall not exceed 5 pounds (2.3 kg).

The total quantity of solid or liquid pyrophoric material allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantities in a storage room, shall not exceed 0.5 pounds (0.227 kg).

Exception: The total quantity of pyrophoric material allowed within a laboratory unit that is provided with walls, floors and ceilings that separate the laboratory unit from all adjoining areas by 2-hour fire rated construction shall not exceed 1 pound (0.454 kg).

The total quantity of solid or liquid highly toxic material allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantities in a storage room, shall not exceed 5 pounds (0.227 kg).

The total quantity of solid or liquid toxic material allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantities in a storage room, shall not exceed 250 pounds (946 L).

The total quantity of solid or liquid corrosive material allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantity in a storage room, shall not exceed 250 gallons (946 L).

In educational and instructional laboratories, the total quantity of highly toxic and toxic gases combined allowed within a laboratory unit, excluding any quantities in a storage room, shall not exceed 20 standard cubic feet (0.56 standard cubic m).

Storage rooms for laboratory chemicals accessory to a laboratory unit shall be classified as Occupancy Group S-1 provided they comply with the provisions of Section 424.9. Storage rooms not in compliance with the provisions of Section 424.9 for laboratory chemical quantity limitations shall be classified as a Group H occupancy.

In addition to the quantities allowed within a laboratory unit by Section 424.7, laboratory chemicals that are accessory to a laboratory unit may be stored, whether outside of or entirely within a laboratory unit, in dedicated storage rooms complying with all of the following:

1. Storage room capacity shall be limited to a maximum of 300 gallons (1136 L) of laboratory chemicals, not to exceed 5 gallons per square foot (0.125 L/m²) of floor area.
2. Flammable gas storage rooms shall be limited to 2,500 standard cubic feet (71 standard cubic m) of flammable gas.
3. Storage rooms shall be enclosed by a minimum of 2-hour rated fire barriers.
4. Storage rooms shall be equipped with a continuously operated ventilation system that provides at least 6 changes of air per hour and vents to the outdoors.
5. Each entrance to the storage room shall be provided with a minimum 1¹/₂-hour rated self-closing fire door.
6. Each entrance to the storage room shall be provided with a sill at the doorway, except that no sill shall be required in storage rooms containing only flammable gases.
7. Storage rooms shall be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system providing at least one sprinkler for each 90 square feet (8.4 m²) or portion thereof.
8. Laboratory chemicals that are incompatible with each other shall not be stored in the same storage room unless in compliance with the New York City Fire Code for separation of incompatible materials.
9. Storage rooms shall not open directly to an exit or any enclosed exit access component.
10. The floor of any storage room storing flammable gases shall be located at or above grade.

Nonproduction laboratories shall be ventilated in accordance with Section 407 of the New York City Mechanical Code.