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. If your control area exceeds the MAQ, you will first receive an email notification with recommended corrective action. If the corrective actions cannot resolve the MAQ exceedance, EH&S will work with you and others in your area to develop a corrective action plan. 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.
Please note: Persuant to the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), a MAQ exceedance within a control area will prevent order approvals for ANY hazardous chemicals in that specific control area, not just those in the exceeded hazard class. For example, if the pyrophoric MAQ is exceeded in a control area, flammable, corrosive, or oxidizer chemical orders cannot be approved for that control area.
