When evaluating expansion space or entirely new space, be sure to evaluate the control areas. The Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) of Hazardous Material per Control Area table in 527 CMR 1 establishes the limits for hazardous materials storage. NFPA 30 and The Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code, 527 CMR 1, further establish the number of control areas permitted per floor and the percentage of the base allowance permitted on each floor of the building. Local fire departments will enforce the established quantity limits when issuing flammable and hazardous material storage and permits. Multi-tenant buildings may require tenants to share control areas in some situations.
The higher the floor of the building, the more limited the storage allowances become. Facilities with large quantities of hazardous materials should operate on lower floors whenever possible – the limit for total Class I flammable liquids is twenty-four gallons per control area on the seventh floor and above!