Building Code Glossary
Hydrogen Cutoff Room: Building Code Definition
How the IBC 2009 define hydrogen cutoff room, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Hydrogen cutoff room is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy. The code's own words are: “A room or space that is intended exclusively to house a gaseous hydrogen system.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IBC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 3 chapters of this corpus, most often in Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 2009), Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009), Definitions (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Hydrogen Cutoff Room — IBC 2009, Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy:
A room or space that is intended exclusively to house a gaseous hydrogen system.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Hydrogen Cutoff Room is defined once in this corpus, in the Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:
A room or space that is intended exclusively to house a gaseous hydrogen system.
Where hydrogen cutoff room is used in the code
The term appears in 3 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages | IFC 2009 | 14 |
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 7 |
| Definitions | IBC 2009 | 1 |
The terms hydrogen cutoff room is built out of
The definition above leans on 2 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what hydrogen cutoff room covers:
- Gaseous Hydrogen System — IBC 2009: An assembly of piping, devices and apparatus designed to generate, store, contain, distribute or transport a nontoxic, gaseous hydrogen-containing mixture having at least 95-percent hydrogen gas by volume and not more than I-percent oxygen by volume.
- System — IFC 2009: An assembly of equipment consisting of a tank, container or containers, appurtenances, pumps, compressors and connecting piping.
Hydrogen Cutoff Room: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IBC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Gaseous Hydrogen System | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | System | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Gaseous Hydrogen System: Building Code Definition
- System: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of hydrogen cutoff room?
The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy as: “A room or space that is intended exclusively to house a gaseous hydrogen system.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on hydrogen cutoff room?
In this corpus the term is used across 3 chapters, led by Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages in the IFC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
Related pages
- HPM Flammable Liquid: Building Code Definition
HPM Flammable Liquid — IBC 2009 definition: An HPM liquid that is defined as either a Class I flammable liquid or a Class …
- HPM Room: Building Code Definition
HPM Room — IBC 2009 definition: A room used in conjunction with or serving a Group H-5 occupancy, where HPM is stored …
- Hurricane-prone Regions: Building Code Definition
Hurricane-prone Regions — IRC 2009 definition: Areas vulnerable to hurricanes, defined as the U.S.
- Hydrogen Generating Appliance: Building Code Definition
Hydrogen Generating Appliance — IRC 2009 definition: A self-contained package or factory-matched packages of integrated systems for generating gaseous hydrogen.
- Identified: Building Code Definition
Identified — IRC 2009 definition: (As applied to equipment.) Recognizable as suitable for the specific purpose, function, use, environment, application, etc. …
- Ignition Source: Building Code Definition
Ignition Source — IRC 2009 definition: A flame, spark or hot surface capable of igniting flammable vapors or fumes.