Control Area per the 2018 IBC is defined as

CONTROL AREA. Spaces within a building where

quantities of hazardous materials not exceeding the maximum

allowable quantities per control area are stored, dispensed,

used or handled.

Effectively it is an enclosed room with fire rated walls and doors. IBC used the definition and NFPA reluctantly started to copy it when they developed their own (abortive) NFPA 500 building code. You are limited to certain quantities per control area per Table 307 (1) and (2).

The number of control areas per floor and these amounts go down as you go up in a building.

Please note that the definition of Control Areas and the NFPA 45 definition of Laboratory Units do not align. (They may but they usually don’t as NFPA 45 has no restrictions on the number per floor.) The control areas were defined when a facility was permitted and any changes require another permit.

The 2018 IBC in Article 428 for the first time defines a Laboratory Suite and gives different limits but it is restricted to higher Educational Laboratories only and states that have adopted the 2018 version.

This is a very complex area. You may want to read my article on the subject: Making Sense of Laboratory Fire Codes, Palluzi, Chemical Engineering Progress, July 2017 or call me directly.

Richard Palluzi

PE, CSP

72 Summit Drive

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

rpalluzi**At_Symbol_Here**verizon.net

908-285-3782