Lab Requirements
As part of the laboratory permitting process in the City of Cambridge, each new facility is reviewed by Deputy Chief Brian J. Gover; Coordinator of the Cambridge LEPC. The review has two parts to it.
1. Submission of certain documents
2. A walk-through of the facility
The documents to be submitted are the following:
- 1. A copy of the facility Chemical Hygiene Plan.
- 2. A copy of the facility Emergency Contingency Plan (a/k/a Emergency Action Plan). This plan should also include a floor plan that indicates the locations of hoods and flammable cabinets.
- 3. A complete inventory of flammable and combustible liquids, flammable gases and flammable solids. This is in accordance with the Massachusetts Fire Prevention Regulations 527 CMR 14. This inventory shall be done using gallon measurements. (For example: 15 gallons of Ethanol, Class I).
- 4. A letter from the health care facility that is contracted to be the Occupational Health Service for the lab facility.
- 5. A completed 24-hour emergency contact standardized form with names and numbers of employees to notify during off-hour emergencies at your facility. Item #10 on this form is the company you would call for a spill you could not handle yourself for whatever reason. 24-hour contact form.
As of 10/24/2017, items 1,2 and 3 will be submitted as attachments as part of the flammable permit online application through the Cambridge Fire Department's online permitting portal. You will need to also submit items 4 & 5 once you are contacted by the Fire Department notifying your application has been received. Payment of the fee will also be done online at the same time. (Customers will still have the ability to pay for permits via cash or check at the Cambridge Fire Prevention Bureau's Office at 491 Broadway, Cambridge MA. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 8am-3pm, Friday 8am-11am.)
It is important to remember that a permit from the fire department for flammables does not relieve a facility from the requirements to obtain a License from the Cambridge License Commission if required. For example if a facility has more than 793 gallons of Class I flammables on site a License in addition to a permit is required. For multi-tenant buildings there is one license for the building and one permit for each tenant.
After the documents are submitted to Deputy Gover the walk-through inspection will be scheduled. After the walk-through, if there are no outstanding issues, the facility will be given permission to commence operations using chemicals. A facility may not begin operations until these requirements are complied with unless given exemption by Deputy Gover for specific reasons.
For any further information contact Deputy Gover at the LEPC Office or via e-mail.