Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ)

USC Fire Safety conducts Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) assessments for USC research labs – one at a time – on an ad hoc basis or when the Fire Department requests them. For new lab construction or renovations, MAQ assessments must be built into the Facilities Planning & Management (FPM) project scope.

This will require a 10-week lead time for USC Fire Safety to conduct the MAQ assessment.

Environmental Health & Safety will provide baseline chemical inventory data, Fire Safety and FPM will verify control areas, and Fire Safety will be the point person and coordinator for MAQ assessments.

To request a MAQ assessment and requirements, please email: firesafety@usc.edu

MAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Maximum allowable quantities (MAQs) are the maximum amount of hazardous materials allowed to be stored or used within a control area in a building. These limits are established by the California Fire Code (CFC) and are broken down by hazard class. The MAQs are intended to ensure the quantities of hazardous materials in a building are within the safe operating levels for the fire and life safety elements to which the building is designed and operated. Adhering to these limits is essential for ensuring a building is safe for its occupants and first responders.

A control area is a space withing a building where hazardous materials are stored, dispensed, used or handled. Control areas are constructed with features like fire rated walls that prevent the spread of fire to and from other areas in the building, allowing for safe emergency egress and fire department response. 

Determining MAQs is complex and relies on several structural and operational factors.

The most common factors that determine MAQs at USC are:

► on which floor your lab is located (see Fig. 1 below)

► whether a fire sprinkler system is installed throughout the building

► use of approved storage cabinets

As emergency response and egress become increasingly difficult with building height, the quantity of hazardous materials that can be safely used and stored decreases. For example, the MAQs on floors 7th and above are 5% of those allowed on the 1st floor. Conversely, if the entire building is equipped with a sprinkler system and approved storage cabinets, the MAQs may be increased.

Figure 1. California Building Code (2019) Table 414.2.2

MAQs are set by the Fire Code to keep building occupants and first responders safe. Exceeding MAQs puts everyone at risk and is considered a serious offense. Common corrective actions include decreasing the quantities of hazardous materials that you use and store, replacing old storage cabinets with approved cabinets, and in the most extreme cases, relocating research activities to another location.

See table below for the most common chemicals in each hazard category.

Hazard Class

Common Chemicals

Flammable Liquids IA

Diethyl ether, 2-methylbutane

Flammable Liquids IB/IC

Ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, acetone, acetonitrile, xylenes

Corrosive Liquids

Acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, bleach, sulfuric acid, trifluoroacetic acid, cell lysis solutions (TRIzol, phenol/chloroform, etc)

Corrosive Solids

Sodium hydroxide, sodium dodecyl sulfate, paraformaldehyde

Toxic Liquids

2-mercaptoethanol, acetonitrile, acrylamide solutions, chloroform, formaldehyde solutions, cell lysis solutions (TRIzol, phenol/chloroform, etc), xylenes

Toxic Solids

Paraformaldehyde, EDTA disodium salt dehydrate, DL-dithiothreitol (DTT), phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF)

Highly Toxic Liquids

2-mercaptoethanol, acetic anhydride, hygromycin B solution

Highly Toxic Solids

Sodium azide, N, N’-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), N-lauroylsarcosine)

Oxidizer 2 Liquids

Hydrogen peroxide solutions 8-35%

Oxidizer 2 Solids

Silver nitrate, potassium permanganate, potassium dichromate, sodium nitrate

Oxidizer 3 Liquids

Hydrogen peroxide solutions 60-91%, 70% perchloric acid

Oxidizer 3 Solids

3-chloroperbenzoic acid (mCPBA), periodic acid, sodium periodate
If MAQ is exceeded, USC Fire Safety is required to complete an MAQ analysis. The building will need to reduce chemicals for compliance or possibly upgrade the building’s fire systems and fire resistive ratings.