# What does a laboratory fit-out need in Ontario?

> What a laboratory fit-out needs in Ontario: the Canadian Biosafety Standard for CL2 labs and the Fire Code for chemical labs. Cruzz Construction, Hamilton.

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- Page updated: 2026-11-04

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Commercial construction

A laboratory fit-out in Ontario is built to the standard the lab will work under. A lab handling pathogens at containment level 2 follows the Canadian Biosafety Standard: a lockable door from public areas, handwashing sinks, cleanable non-absorbent surfaces and biohazard signage. A lab using flammable or dangerous chemicals follows the Fire Code: 1-hour fire separations, chemical-resistant finishes and fume hoods. Cruzz Construction builds lab fit-outs in Hamilton, Halton and the GTA from the lab's own drawings.

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## What does the Canadian Biosafety Standard require of a CL2 lab's construction?

The physical items in Chapter 3 of the [Canadian Biosafety Standard, third edition](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/canadian-biosafety-standards-guidelines/third-edition.html) that apply at containment level 2. They include a lockable door separating the containment zone from public and administrative areas (3.2.4), sinks for handwashing (3.5.4), surfaces from floors to benchtops that are cleanable, non-absorbent and resistant to damage and to decontamination products (3.3.1), and biohazard signage at the entry (3.2.1).

## Who decides whether a biosafety cabinet is needed?

The lab, through its local risk assessment. The standard requires biological safety cabinets or other primary containment devices based on that assessment (3.6.1), so the cabinet list comes from the lab's biosafety officer, not the contractor. The build then provides the power, clearances and any exhaust connection the cabinet supplier specifies.

## What does the Fire Code require of a chemistry lab?

Section 5.5 of the Ontario [Fire Code](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070213) applies to laboratories that use dangerous goods, including flammable and combustible liquids. It requires the lab to be separated from the rest of the building by fire separations rated at least 1 hour (5.5.2.2), finishes, floors and fixed furniture that resist the chemicals used (5.5.2.1), continuous mechanical ventilation (5.5.4.1), and the use of dangerous goods confined inside a power-ventilated enclosure such as a fume hood (5.5.4.2).

## What should a lab send to get the fit-out priced?

The design drawings, the equipment list with supplier installation drawings, the containment level or hazard type, the casework and benchtop specification, and the landlord's criteria for exhaust and roof work. Labs in multi-tenant buildings are also [tenant improvements](https://cruzzconstruction.com/commercial/tenant-improvements/); clinics with testing rooms are covered on the [medical clinic page](https://cruzzconstruction.com/commercial/medical-clinics/). Most lab fit-outs cross $50,000 and need a [Notice of Project](https://cruzzconstruction.com/guides/notice-of-project/).

**Construction items for two kinds of lab**

| Item | Biological lab at CL2 (Canadian Biosafety Standard) | Lab using dangerous goods (Fire Code Section 5.5) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Separation | A lockable door from public and administrative areas (3.2.4). | Fire separations rated at least 1 hour (5.5.2.2). |
| Surfaces | Cleanable, non-absorbent, resistant to damage and decontamination (3.3.1). | Chemically resistant finishes, floors and fixed furniture (5.5.2.1). |
| Air | Set by the local risk assessment. | Continuous mechanical ventilation (5.5.4.1). |
| Containment | Biological safety cabinets where the risk assessment calls for them (3.6.1). | Dangerous goods used inside a power-ventilated enclosure (5.5.4.2). |
| Sinks and signs | Handwashing sinks (3.5.4) and biohazard signage at entry (3.2.1). | Set by the lab design. |

Published by Cruzz Construction, Hamilton. Updated November 4, 2026.

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