Rensselaer adheres to many regulatory standards and codes, including New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Codes. These codes prescribe maximum allowable quantities (MAQ) for spaces defined as control areas or laboratory suites within buildings where hazardous materials are stored, dispensed, used or handled. There are a number of factors that can change the MAQ for any given space, such as unique hazardous properties, floor level within a building, whether or not a building is fully sprinklered, and the mechanical ventilation of the building itself.
Overview of Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) Basics
A MAQ per control area is the maximum amount of a hazardous material allowed to be stored or used within a control area inside a building. The maximum allowable quantity per control area is based on the material state (solid, liquid or gas) and the material storage or use conditions.
MAQ's are allowable limits for chemical use that have been set to provide a safe working environment in terms of fire and life safety.
MAQ's are determined by the fire code and can change for a number of reasons, such as:
- Floor level within your building
- Building construction type, such as fire resistance ratings of your wall
- Whether or not the building is fully sprinklered
- Mechanical ventilation
- Proper hazardous material storage
MAQ's are set for the following categories of hazardous materials:
- Combustible dust, fibers and liquids
- Cryogenic flammables, inerts and oxidizing
- Explosives
- Flammable gases, liquids and solids
- Inert gases
- Organic peroxides
- Oxidizing gases
- Pyrophorics
- Unstable (reactives)
- Water reactives
- Corrosives
- Highly toxics and toxics
Control areas are spaces within a building where quantities of hazardous materials not exceeding the maximum allowable quantities per control area are stored, dispensed, used or handled. These spaces can of any type of use with chemical storage, including laboratories, shops, and custodial closets.
