Confirm that NFPA 45 applies and how the design defines each laboratory unit, then compare unit boundaries, chemical storage, fume hoods, exhaust, fire protection, and egress across the lab planning, architectural, and mechanical drawings. AI can flag document conflicts; the design professionals and authority decide compliance.
What does NFPA 45 cover?
NFPA 45 is the Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals. NFPA describes it as providing basic requirements to protect life and property through prevention and control of fires and explosions involving the use of chemicals in laboratory-scale operations.
NFPA’s official NFPA 45 page identifies the 2024 edition as current when checked on October 2, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
Record how the design classifies each laboratory unit and where that classification is stated. Hazardous materials quantities may also be governed by the building or fire code and by the NFPA 400 hazardous materials guide; flammable liquid storage connects to the NFPA 30 guide. Health care laboratories may also fall under the NFPA 99 guide.
Bring the lab program and the drawings together
Collect the laboratory unit plan or code plan, the chemical inventory or hazard analysis where available, lab casework and equipment plans, fume hood and exhaust drawings, mechanical sequences, rated wall plans, the sprinkler and fire alarm drawings, and the egress plans.
Laboratory programs change late. Confirm that the lab planner’s equipment plans and the architect’s unit boundaries come from the same issue, and record any unit whose classification is not stated.
Trace laboratory units through every discipline
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Lab unit boundaries | Code plan, rated wall plan, floor plans | Reconcile how each laboratory unit is bounded on every sheet. |
| Unit classification | Code plan, chemical inventory, specifications | Ask for the stated classification where a unit has none or two. |
| Chemical storage | Casework plans, storage cabinet schedule, equipment plans | Match storage locations and cabinets across lab planning and architectural sheets. |
| Fume hoods | Equipment plans, mechanical exhaust drawings, schedules | Trace each hood from the lab plan to its exhaust and controls. |
| Fire protection | Sprinkler drawings, fire alarm drawings, code plan | Confirm protection drawn for each unit matches the code plan. |
| Egress | Egress plans, casework layout, door schedule | Identify casework or equipment that now blocks a route shown on the egress plan. |
See the laboratory project page for how a lab set is reviewed as a whole, and use the mechanical drawing checklist for the exhaust system.
Example: a fume hood that has no exhaust
Hypothetical example. The lab planner’s current equipment plan adds a fume hood to a teaching lab, but the mechanical exhaust drawings and hood schedule do not include it. The architectural plan shows casework where the hood duct would rise.
The current lab equipment plan adds a fume hood in this room, but the mechanical exhaust drawings and hood schedule do not show it. Please confirm the hood and coordinate its exhaust, controls, and casework.
The mechanical engineer adds the exhaust and controls, or the lab planner removes the hood. Whether the lab meets NFPA 45 is the design team’s and authority’s decision.
Review laboratory coordination with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 45 reference from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it. State the edition, amendments, review area, and known exclusions in your instructions.
Compare the laboratory unit plan with the floor plans, rated walls, lab equipment and casework plans, fume hood and exhaust drawings, sprinkler and fire alarm drawings, and egress plans. Flag conflicting unit boundaries, storage, hoods, and routes. Use the supplied NFPA 45 reference where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets behind it. Confirm the room and hood tags before asking a question, and record missing chemical information as a gap rather than an assumption.
Document review does not classify laboratory units, calculate chemical quantities, or approve the design. Those remain with the design professionals, the owner’s safety staff, and the authority having jurisdiction.