As the design, construction, and property management community becomes familiar with the new requirements within the 10^th Edition of 780 CMR, the Massachusetts Building Code, there are several key components that will impact the life sciences industry. The adoption of the current version of 527 CMR, the Massachusetts Fire Code, in December 2022 emphasized several key design and documentation issues that are reinforced and augmented by the 10^th Edition of 780 CMR. These items include: 

1. The requirement for property owners and managers to maintain up-to-date and accurate reporting regarding the classification and quantities of chemicals throughout their building, including their tenants’ spaces.  

2. The requirement for property owners and managers to likewise maintain up-to-date and accurate emergency action plans (EAP’s) for the specific building design and hazards present in the space.  

This blog goes into more detail on how these requirements can and should be documented to comply with code.

In addition to these items, 527 CMR introduced requirements on lab suites. The recent adoption of the 10^th Edition of 780 CMR expands on these requirements, introducing a third compliance method for chemical storage in buildings. Until the lab suite methodology, buildings had to comply with the control area methodology and, where the limits imposed by this methodology were exceeded, a high hazard (Group H) room had to be constructed.  

The introduction of Lab Suites provides a third compliance strategy, which allow for higher maximum allowable quantities for flammable and combustible liquids as well as allow for more lab suites per floor than had traditionally been available under the control area method. This methodology may be particularly valuable for buildings with laboratories located four or more stories above grade, where the control area method can be very restrictive. There are, however, trade-offs for these chemical limit increases, which include: 

1. Minimum of 2-hour fire-rated floors (three-story buildings could have previously been subdivided into control areas with 1-hour floors).  

2. Floors must be designed as “liquid tight” 

3. Laboratory ventilation must be provided with secondary power 

4. Additional requirements related to means of egress 

These improvements may be straightforward for new construction, but existing buildings will require engineering analysis to confirm the capabilities of the fire protection, mechanical, electrical, architectural, and structural designs.  

It is important to note that these increased chemical limits tied to laboratory suites only apply to flammable and combustible liquids so, there still may be challenges related to other hazard classes, such as toxics or water reactive materials, for example.  

While many of these code changes are beneficial for the life science real estate market, compliance can be challenging as enforcement is increasing across the State. If you have any questions or would like assistance in evaluating whether your new or existing building can benefit from these changes, please contact Jigsaw Life Safety, Inc at support@jigsawlifesafety.com or use our contact us page to get in touch.