Building Code Glossary
Secondary Containment: Building Code Definition
How the IFC 2009 define secondary containment, 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
Secondary containment is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions. The code's own words are: “That level of containment that is external to and separate from primary containment.” 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 9 chapters of this corpus, most often in Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009), Hazardous Materials-general Provisions (IFC 2009), Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 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?
Secondary Containment — IFC 2009, Hazardous Materials-general Provisions:
That level of containment that is external to and separate from primary containment.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Secondary Containment is defined once in this corpus, in the Hazardous Materials-general Provisions chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:
That level of containment that is external to and separate from primary containment.
Where secondary containment is used in the code
The term appears in 9 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable and Combustible Liquids | IFC 2009 | 67 |
| Hazardous Materials-general Provisions | IFC 2009 | 62 |
| Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages | IFC 2009 | 7 |
| Dry Cleaning | IFC 2009 | 4 |
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Compressed Gases | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Corrosive Materials | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Water-reactive Solids and Liquids | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about secondary containment, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Where the maximum allowable quantityper control area is exceeded, and when required by Section 2704.2, rooms, buildings or areas used for storage, dispensing, use, mixing or handling of Class I, II and IlIA liquids shall be provided with spill control and secondary containment in accordance with Section 2704.2.
Underground tanks used for the storage of liquid hazardous materials shall be provided with secondary containment.
Secondary containment systems shall be monitored either visually or automatically.
The terms secondary containment is built out of
The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what secondary containment covers:
- Primary Containment — IFC 2009: The first level of containment, consisting of the inside portion of that container which comes into immediate contact on its inner surface with the material being contained.
Secondary Containment: 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 | Hazardous Materials-general Provisions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Hazardous Materials-general Provisions (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Dry Cleaning (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Primary Containment | |
| 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
- Primary Containment: Building Code Definition
- Container: Building Code Definition
- System: Building Code Definition
- Chemical: 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 secondary containment?
The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions as: “That level of containment that is external to and separate from primary containment.” 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 secondary containment?
In this corpus the term is used across 9 chapters, led by Flammable and Combustible Liquids 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 considered secondary containment?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions: “That level of containment that is external to and separate from primary containment.” It is defined in IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
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