Building Code Glossary
Liquid Oxygen Ambulatory Container: Building Code Definition
How the IFC 2009 define liquid oxygen ambulatory container, 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
Liquid oxygen ambulatory container is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids. The code's own words are: “A container used for liquid oxygen not exceeding 0.396 gallons (1.5 liters) specifically designed for use as a medical device as defined by 21 USC Chapter 9 that is intended for portable therapeutic use and to be filled from its companion base unit (a liquid oxygen home care container).” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 2 chapters of this corpus, most often in Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids (IFC 2009), Definitions (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
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?
Liquid Oxygen Ambulatory Container — IFC 2009, Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids:
A container used for liquid oxygen not exceeding 0.396 gallons (1.5 liters) specifically designed for use as a medical device as defined by 21 USC Chapter 9 that is intended for portable therapeutic use and to be filled from its companion base unit (a liquid oxygen home care container).
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Liquid Oxygen Ambulatory Container is defined once in this corpus, in the Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:
A container used for liquid oxygen not exceeding 0.396 gallons (1.5 liters) specifically designed for use as a medical device as defined by 21 USC Chapter 9 that is intended for portable therapeutic use and to be filled from its companion base unit (a liquid oxygen home care container).
Where liquid oxygen ambulatory container is used in the code
The term appears in 2 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids | IFC 2009 | 10 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 1 |
Liquid Oxygen Ambulatory Container compared with Liquid Oxygen Home Care Container
These two are the closest pair in the 2009 I-Codes: about 57 per cent of their defining words are the same. The code states both and compares neither, so the difference is worth naming.
| Wording unique to it | |
|---|---|
| Liquid Oxygen Ambulatory Container (IFC 2009) | 0, 396, 1, 5, portable, filled, companion, base, unit, care |
| Liquid Oxygen Home Care Container (IFC 2009) | 15, 8, 60, deliver, gaseous, environment |
Everything else in the two definitions is shared. If a project turns on which of the two applies, those words are the whole of the test — and a local amendment that edits one of them without editing the other moves the boundary between liquid oxygen ambulatory container and liquid oxygen home care container.
The terms liquid oxygen ambulatory container is built out of
The definition above leans on 4 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what liquid oxygen ambulatory container covers:
- Liquid Oxygen Home Care Container — IFC 2009: A container used for liquid oxygen not exceeding 15.8 gallons (60 liters) specifically designed for use as a medical device as defined by 21 USC Chapter 9 that is intended to deliver gaseous oxygen for therapeutic use in a home …
- Container — IFC 2009: A vessel of 60 gallons (227 L) or less in capacity used for transporting or storing hazardous materials.
- Liquid — IBC 2009: A material that has a melting point that is equal to or less than 68°F (20°C) and a boiling point that is greater than 68°F (20°C) at 14.7 pounds per square inch absolute (psia) (101 kPa).
- Device — IRC 2009: Aunit of an electrical system that carries or controls electrical energy as it principal function.
Liquid Oxygen Ambulatory Container: 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 IFC | Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Liquid Oxygen Home Care Container | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Container | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Liquid | |
| 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
- Liquid Oxygen Home Care Container: Building Code Definition
- Container: Building Code Definition
- Liquid: Building Code Definition
- Device: 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 liquid oxygen ambulatory container?
The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids as: “A container used for liquid oxygen not exceeding 0.396 gallons (1.5 liters) specifically designed for use as a medical device as defined by 21 USC Chapter 9 that is intended for portable therapeutic use and to be filled from its companion base unit (a liquid oxygen home care container).” 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 liquid oxygen ambulatory container?
In this corpus the term is used across 2 chapters, led by Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids 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.
What is a liquid oxygen device?
Device is a separate defined term. The IRC 2009 defines it as: “Aunit of an electrical system that carries or controls electrical energy as it principal function.” That is not the same as liquid oxygen ambulatory container, which the IFC 2009 defines as “A container used for liquid oxygen not exceeding 0.396 gallons (1.5 liters) specifically designed for use as a medical device as defined by 21 USC Chapter 9 that is intended for portable therapeutic use and to be filled from its …” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
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