Fire Safety Concerns in Laboratory Design
Fire safety is one of the most critical considerations in laboratory planning and design. Laboratories are unique environments that combine high-energy equipment, volatile chemicals, and human activity, all of which increase the risk of fire incidents.
For lab planners, architects, and contractors, this means that fire safety must be integrated from the earliest design stages—decisions about space layout, material selection, ventilation, and utility systems all influence the likelihood and severity of potential fires.
A well-designed laboratory can prevent many hazards from escalating, while a poorly designed one may amplify danger. Beyond compliance with codes and standards, thoughtful design fosters a culture of safety, protecting personnel, safeguarding valuable research, and preserving the facility itself.
The nature of fire hazards in laboratories
Unlike most workplace settings, laboratories deal daily with ignitable liquids, compressed gases, reactive chemicals, and electrical equipment. Fires can start from something as simple as a spark near a solvent bottle or an overloaded outlet, and they can escalate quickly if not contained.
Thoughtful laboratory design plays a critical role in preventing and mitigating fires. Proper layout, including clear egress routes, strategically placed fire suppression systems, and adequate spacing between workstations, helps contain incidents and protect occupants. Selection of flame-resistant materials, appropriate ventilation, and segregation of high-risk processes into dedicated areas further reduces fire risk. Integrating safety considerations early in the design process—such as specifying explosion-proof electrical equipment and designing fume hoods for both chemical containment and fire resistance—ensures that the lab is inherently safer while supporting the practical needs of researchers.
Fume hoods, designed to protect users from hazardous vapors, can themselves become sources of fire when improperly used. Chip Albright, president and founder of Fume Hood Certified, notes that fires often begin with cluttered hoods, incompatible chemicals, or the use of non-explosion-proof electrical devices inside the hood. Misuse of open flames or heating elements further increases the risk.
The consequences of a lab fire go beyond property damage. Fires can lead to personal injury, long-term health effects from smoke and chemical exposure, disruption of valuable research, and financial losses from downtime and remediation.
Albright offers a seven-step plan of what to do in case of a fume hood fire in a lab—be prepared to act right away, as time is of the essence. Additionally, you can watch Chip’s free on-demand webinar, “Your Chemical Fume Hood Is On Fire: What Do You Do?” from the 2025 Fume Hood Risk Mitigation Digital Conference.
Common causes of laboratory fires
Based on industry experience and safety studies, the most frequent contributors to laboratory fires include:
Improper chemical storage or mixing. Incompatible chemicals stored together may react violently.
Overcrowded or cluttered workspaces. Clutter blocks airflow in fume hoods and can fuel a fire.
Electrical hazards. Extension cords, overloaded outlets, or non-rated equipment can spark ignition.
Turbulence and poor containment. Improper sash height, open doors, or poor airflow management allow vapors to escape and ignite.
Human error or lack of training. Staff who are not properly trained may not recognize risks or may react incorrectly in emergencies.
Understanding these causes is the first step in prevention. Integrating safety into laboratory design means addressing these common fire contributors from the outset. Proper chemical storage systems, dedicated hazardous material zones, and ventilated cabinets reduce the risk of incompatible reactions. Workspaces should be planned to minimize clutter, maintain clear airflow, and provide adequate separation between high-risk operations. Electrical systems must be specified to handle lab loads safely, with explosion-proof equipment where required. Thoughtful fume hood placement, optimized sash heights, and controlled airflow help contain vapors and prevent ignition. Finally, designing spaces that support visibility, accessibility, and clear egress routes reinforces safe behaviors and enables staff to respond effectively in an emergency.
Designing for fire safety
A strong fire safety strategy starts with the design and planning process. Incorporating risk mitigation early reduces both hazards and long-term costs. As highlighted in the on-demand webinar “Enhancing Lab Safety Through Architectural Design,” given by Pat Traver, AIA, NCARB, and Brian Szakacs, AIA, NCARB, in the 2024 Laboratory Safety Digital Conference, addressing fire risks during the design phase also improves workflow efficiency, emergency response, and long-term operational resilience.
Several best practices stand out:
1. Control areas and compartmentation
One effective way to reduce fire risk is by creating control areas—fire-resistant compartments within buildings that limit the amount of hazardous chemicals stored or used in one area. Building codes define maximum allowable quantities (MAQs) based on floor levels, with stricter limits on upper floors to minimize fire spread.
Recent code innovations, such as High-Risk Laboratory (High-Red) Suites and Group L occupancies, further refine compartmentation strategies. These classifications require enhanced fire barriers, robust sprinkler systems, and ventilation systems designed to prevent cross-contamination during emergencies.
2. Compliance with NFPA 45 and building codes
The NFPA 45 standard categorizes laboratories from Class A (highest fire hazard) to Class D (lowest). Each class limits the amount of flammable materials allowed per unit area. Integrating NFPA 45 with the International Building Code (IBC) and International Fire Code (IFC) ensures that facilities manage ignitable liquids safely and consistently.
3. Electrical infrastructure
As emphasized by Tracy Durnan, manager of operations at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, inadequate electrical outlets often drive unsafe practices such as daisy-chained power strips or extension cords. New laboratories should be designed with more electrical capacity than initially needed, anticipating future equipment growth. Explosion-proof outlets and equipment must be used in areas where flammable vapors are present.
4. Ventilation and fume hood performance
Fume hoods are frontline safety devices—but only if they are designed and maintained properly. Albright stresses that the focus should be on containment performance, not just airflow velocity. Clutter-free hoods, correct sash positions, and regular ASHRAE 110 performance testing ensure that vapors are captured and fires are contained if they occur.
5. Emergency equipment placement
The layout of emergency equipment—eyewash stations, safety showers, fire extinguishers, and emergency shutoffs—must support rapid response. Safety expert Clay Stafford notes that clustering emergency tools into highly visible “Safety Stations” improves accessibility under stress. Strategic placement also prevents bottlenecks during evacuation. View Clay’s free AIA-accredited webinar on “Designing Laboratories for Hazardous Collections and Forensic Materials,” part of the 2024 Lab Design Digital Conference.
6. Egress and shutoff systems
Clear exit pathways and well-marked shutoff systems for gas and electricity are essential. Shutoffs should be accessible without requiring staff to re-enter a hazardous zone. As building systems become more automated, integrating zoned or remote shutoff capabilities is becoming best practice.
Emergency preparedness and training considerations in lab design
Even the most carefully designed laboratory cannot eliminate every risk. However, the way a facility is planned and built can directly support how effectively occupants prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Enable effective drills and rehearsals. Design layouts so staff can easily practice emergency actions—lowering fume hood sashes, pulling alarms, using extinguishers, and evacuating without obstruction. Clear sightlines, well-marked exits, and intuitive circulation paths make rehearsal and real response faster.
Support incident reporting and analysis. Provide centralized, visible locations for alarms, shutoffs, and communication tools. When events occur, these design features make it easier to document, review, and learn from each incident.
Reinforce a culture of safety. Safety is most effective when embedded in daily operations. Designers play a role by integrating features that encourage good habits—adequate storage to prevent clutter, visible placement of emergency equipment, and logical adjacencies that reduce risky workarounds.
A consistent theme among safety experts is that panic is the enemy, preparation is the ally. By anticipating how people will act in the first seconds of a fire, and by designing spaces that support calm, confident response, architects and builders can significantly reduce the difference between a minor incident and a major disaster.
Balancing innovation and safety
Laboratory environments are increasingly designed with transparency, collaboration, and innovation in mind. Open labs, flexible layouts, and glass walls promote teamwork and creativity—but they also create new challenges for fire safety. Designers must balance the desire for openness with the need for compartmentation, storage, and controlled environments.
Early involvement of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) teams, fire officials, and facility managers ensures that creative design does not come at the expense of life safety.
Fire safety in laboratories is not achieved through a single device, standard, or policy—it emerges from holistic, intentional design. Thoughtful planning, strict adherence to codes, resilient infrastructure, and support for effective staff training all combine to reduce risk.
Every design decision—from control areas and fume hood placement to emergency egress routes and alarm integration—affects how well a facility can prevent, contain, and respond to fire incidents. Investing in fire-safe design upfront may increase costs, but the financial, operational, and human cost of a fire far exceeds preventive measures.
