Exits and vertical transportation: BCIN Fire Protection

Last updated October 22, 2026

Values this chapter turns on

max travel to an exit, sprinklered floor area: 45 m; max travel to an exit, sprinklered floor area
exit spacing cap where there is a public corridor: 9 m; exit spacing cap where there is a public corridor
max force to open an exit door once unlatched: 90 N; max force to open an exit door once unlatched
most an exit separation ever needs to be rated: 2 h; most an exit separation ever needs to be rated

Section 3.4. is about exits: how many, where, how they are protected from fire, how they are signed and how their doors work. Exit width (3.4.3.) is excluded from this syllabus, so focus on number, location, separation, signs, doors, fire escapes, and the hoistway rules in 3.5.3.

Number and location of exits

Every occupied floor area has exit facilities, and where more than one exit is required, each is separate from the others (OBC Div. B 3.4.1.1., 3.4.1.2.). Exits are exterior doorways, passageways, ramps or stairs, fire escapes, horizontal exits, or interior passageways, ramps and stairs (3.4.1.4.). Horizontal exits may be not more than half of the required exits, or two-thirds for hospital and long-term care sleeping floors (3.4.1.6.). Slide escapes never count as required exits.

How many. At least 2 exits per floor area, but a building not more than 2 storeys may have a single exit serving not more than 60 persons where the floor area and travel are within Table 3.4.2.1.-A (unsprinklered) or the area is within Table 3.4.2.1.-B with travel up to 25 m (sprinklered) (OBC Div. B 3.4.2.1.). For Group B or C, that single exit must be an exterior door not more than 1.5 m above ground.

Single exit, unsprinklered (Table A, selected)	Max area	Max travel
Group C	100 m²	15 m
Group D	200 m²	25 m
Group F2	150 m²	10 m

How far apart. Two exits must be at least half the floor area's diagonal apart, capped at 9 m where there is a public corridor and at least 9 m otherwise (3.4.2.3.).

Travel distance to at least one exit (3.4.2.5.):

Floor area	Max travel
High-hazard industrial	25 m
Any other, unsprinklered	30 m
Business and personal services	40 m
Sprinklered (not F1)	45 m
Storage garage under 3.2.2.92.	60 m
Wide, high, sprinklered mall-type public corridor	105 m

Travel may be measured from a suite door if the suite is separated (45 min unsprinklered) and opens onto a separated corridor (3.4.2.4.). Perimeter exits not more than 60 m apart, with every main aisle leading to an exit, can replace the travel limit (not in F1).

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Fire separation of exits and exit signs

Exits are separated from the rest of the building at the floor assembly rating, not less than 45 min and need not be more than 2 h (OBC Div. B 3.4.4.1.). An exit may pass through open-air parking for up to 9 m under conditions. Only one exit may lead through a lobby, with the lobby floor not over 4.5 m above grade and not more than 15 m of travel through it (3.4.4.2.). Exit integrity (3.4.4.4.) bans fuel-fired appliances, use as a plenum, and service rooms, storage rooms and washrooms opening into an exit; only exit doors, sprinkler and standpipe piping, the exit's own wiring and permitted wired glass may penetrate. Scissor stairs are separated from each other by a smoke-tight fire separation.

Exit signs are needed on every exit door where the exit serves a building over 2 storeys, a building over 150 occupants, or a floor area with a fire escape (3.4.5.1.). Signs are the green and white running-man pictogram (ISO 3864-1 and ISO 7010), continuously lit, on an emergency lighting circuit; photoluminescent signs follow CAN/ULC-S572. Directional signs are needed where no exit is visible from a public corridor or a busy open floor. A tactile "EXIT" sign goes on the approach side (3.4.5.2.), and stairs that continue past the exit level, or to the roof in buildings over 6 storeys, are signed as not leading to an exit (3.4.5.3.).

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Exit doors, hardware and stair identification

Item	Rule
Door swing from a stair riser	at least 300 mm clear (3.4.6.11.)
Threshold	max 13 mm; one step of max 150 mm only for ice or snow
Leaf in a multi-leaf doorway	at least 610 mm
Swing direction	in the direction of exit travel, except floor areas of 60 or fewer (not F1) (3.4.6.12.)
Self-closer	on exit doors normally kept closed (3.4.6.13.)
Revolving door	collapsible, beside hinged doors, ground floor, max 45 persons (3.4.6.15.)
Opening force	max 90 N once unlatched (3.4.6.16.)
Panic-type device	across at least half the door width; on exits from assembly over 100, from F1, and from stair shafts in buildings over 100 persons

Exit door hardware opens with one operation, no keys or special knowledge. Electromagnetic locks are allowed only with a fire alarm system and a long list of release conditions (alarm or alert signal, power loss, manual switch, a pull station within 600 mm, signage), and never on panic-hardware doors, school exits or F1 exits. Floor numbers and stair letters in visual and tactile form go on the wall at the latch side, on both the stair and floor sides (3.4.6.19.).

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Fire escapes and hoistway separations

New fire escapes are not allowed. On existing buildings where other exits are impracticable, they may serve floors up to 2 storeys above ground in care, treatment or detention occupancies and up to 5 storeys in others, never in schools or retirement homes (OBC Div. B 3.4.7.1.). Access is through doors from corridors, or from a dwelling unit through a casement window at least 1,100 mm by 550 mm, onto a balcony of at least 1 m² (3.4.7.3.). Above the second storey, openings within 3 m beside, 10 m below and 1.8 m above the fire escape need closures (3.4.7.4.).

Elevator hoistways are separated per Table 3.5.3.1. according to the floor assembly rating (OBC Div. B 3.5.3.1.): 45 min for floors up to 45 min, 1 h for 1 h or 1.5 h floors, 1.5 h for 2 h floors and above. Elevator machine rooms match the hoistway (3.5.3.3.). Passenger elevators (not firefighter elevators) may run open within an interconnected floor space if their machine room is separated.

Common traps: one third of the diagonal is for egress doorways from rooms, one half for exits from floor areas; the 2 h exit separation cap; fire escapes are only for existing buildings.

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Chapter review

Chapter at a glance

One line per section: the idea to carry into the exam. Then the answers that most often catch candidates out.

Chapter at a glance: the key idea in each section
Section	Key idea
Number and location of exits	Every occupied floor area has exit facilities, and where more than one exit is required, each is separate from the others.
Fire separation of exits and exit signs	Exits are separated from the rest of the building at the floor assembly rating, not less than 45 min and need not be more than 2 h.
Exit doors, hardware and stair identification	Exit door hardware opens with one operation, no keys or special knowledge.
Fire escapes and hoistway separations	New fire escapes are not allowed.

Number and location of exits
Every occupied floor area has exit facilities, and where more than one exit is required, each is separate from the others.
Fire separation of exits and exit signs
Exits are separated from the rest of the building at the floor assembly rating, not less than 45 min and need not be more than 2 h.
Exit doors, hardware and stair identification
Exit door hardware opens with one operation, no keys or special knowledge.
Fire escapes and hoistway separations
New fire escapes are not allowed.

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Code cited in this chapter

Based on the official 2024 Building Code Compendium on ontario.ca.

OBC Div. B 3.4.1.1. Scope
(1)Exit facilities complying with this Section shall be provided from every floor area that is intended for occupancy.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.1.2. Separation of Exits
(1)Except as permitted by Sentence (2), if more than one exit is required from a floor area, each exit shall be separate from every other exit leading from that floor area.
(2)If more than 2 exits are provided from a floor area, exits are permitted to converge in conformance with Sentence 3.4.3.1.(2), provided the cumulative capacity of the converging exits does not contribute more than 50% of the total required exit width for the floor area.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.1.4. Types of Exit
(1)Subject to the requirements of this Section, an exit from any floor area shall be one of the following, used singly or in combination:
(a)an exterior doorway,
(b)an exterior passageway,
(c)an exterior ramp,
(d)an exterior stairway,
(e)a fire escape (conforming to Subsection 3.4.7.),
(f)a horizontal exit,
(g)an interior passageway,
(h)an interior ramp, or
(i)an interior stairway.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.1.6. Restricted Use of Horizontal Exits
(1)Except as permitted by Sentence (2), horizontal exits shall not comprise more than one-half of the required number of exits from any floor area.
(2)In a hospital or long-term care home, horizontal exits serving patients' or residents' sleeping rooms shall comprise not more than two-thirds of the required number of exits from any floor area. (See Note A-3.4.1.6.(2))
(3)Where an elementary or secondary school is subdivided by a firewall, a horizontal exit shall not serve as an exit but is permitted to serve as an access to exit.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.2.1. Minimum Number of Exits
(1)Except as permitted by Sentences (2) to (4), every floor area intended for occupancy shall be served by at least 2 exits.
(2)A floor area in a building not more than 2 storeys in building height, is permitted to be served by one exit provided the total occupant load served by the exit is not more than 60, and
(a)in a floor area that is not sprinklered throughout, the floor area and the travel distance are not more than the values in Table 3.4.2.1.-A, or
(b)in a floor area that is sprinklered throughout,
(i)the travel distance is not more than 25 m, and
(ii)the floor area is not more than the value in Table 3.4.2.1.-B.
(3)Except as permitted by Sentence (4), if Sentence (2) permits a single exit from a floor area classified as Group B or Group C occupancy, the exit shall be an exterior doorway not more than 1.5 m above adjacent ground level.
(4)The requirements of Sentences (1) and (2) are permitted to be waived for dwelling units having access to exit conforming to Sentences 3.3.4.4.(1) to (4) and (8).
(5)Exits are not required directly from rooftop enclosures that are provided with access to exits in conformance with Sentences 3.3.1.3.(5) and (6).
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OBC Div. B 3.4.2.3. Distance Between Exits
(1)Except as provided in Sentence (2), the least distance between 2 required exits from a floor area shall be
(a)one-half the maximum diagonal dimension of the floor area, but need not be more than 9 m for a floor area having a public corridor, or
(b)one-half the maximum diagonal dimension of the floor area, but not less than 9 m for all other floor areas. (See Note A-3.4.2.3.(1))
(2)Exits need not comply with Sentence (1) where
(a)the floor area is divided so that not less than one-third of the floor area is on each side of a fire separation, and
(b)it is necessary to pass through the fire separation to travel from one exit to another exit.
(3)The minimum distance between exits referred to in Sentence (1) shall be the shortest distance that smoke would have to travel between the exits, assuming that the smoke will not penetrate an intervening fire separation.
(4)The distance between 2 exterior discharges leading from two or more exit stairs serving the same floor area shall be
(a)not less than 9 m, or
(b)not less than 6 m, where
(i)the building is sprinklered throughout, and
(ii)the 2 exterior discharges are located within 15 m of a street.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.2.5. Location of Exits
(1)Except as permitted by Sentences (2) and 3.3.2.5.(13) to (16), if more than one exit is required from a floor area, the exits shall be located so that the travel distance to at least one exit shall be not more than
(a)25 m in a high-hazard industrial occupancy,
(b)40 m in a business and personal services occupancy,
(c)45 m in a floor area that contains an occupancy other than a high-hazard industrial occupancy, provided it is sprinklered throughout,
(d)105 m in any floor area, served by a public corridor, in which rooms and suites are not separated from the remainder of the floor area by a fire separation, provided
(i)the public corridor is not less than 9 m wide,
(ii)the ceiling height in the public corridor is not less than 4 m above all floor surfaces,
(iii)the building is sprinklered throughout, and
(iv)not more than one-half of the required egress doorways from a room or suite open into the public corridor if the room or suite is required to have more than one egress doorway,
(e)60 m in any storage garage that conforms to the requirements of Article 3.2.2.92., and
(f)30 m in any floor area other than those referred to in Clauses (a) to (e).
(2)Except for a high-hazard industrial occupancy, Sentence (1) need not apply if exits are placed along the perimeter of the floor area and are not more than 60 m apart, measured along the perimeter, provided each main aisle in the floor area leads directly to an exit.
(3)Exits shall be located and arranged so that they are clearly visible or their locations are clearly indicated and they are accessible at all times.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.2.4. Travel Distance
(1)Except as permitted by Sentence (2), for the purposes of this Subsection, travel distance means the distance from any point in the floor area to an exit measured along the path of travel to the exit.
(2)The travel distance from a suite or a room not within a suite is permitted to be measured from an egress door of the suite or room to the nearest exit, provided
(a)the suite or room is separated from the remainder of the floor area by a fire separation
(i)having a fire-resistance rating not less than 45 min in a floor area that is not sprinklered throughout, or
(ii)that is not required to have a fire-resistance rating, in a floor area that is sprinklered throughout, and
(b)the egress door opens onto
(i)an exterior passageway,
(ii)a corridor used by the public that is separated from the remainder of the floor area in conformance with the requirements in Article 3.3.1.4. for the separation of public corridors, or
(iii)a public corridor that is separated from the remainder of the floor area in conformance with Article 3.3.1.4. (See Note A-3.1.8.1.(1)(b))
(3)Travel distance to an exit shall be not more than 50 m from any point in a service space referred to in Sentence 3.2.1.1.(8).
(4)If there is a firewall in an elementary or secondary school, the travel distance shall not be measured to a door in the firewall, but shall be measured to an exterior exit door or an exit door to a stairway.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.4.1. Fire-Resistance Rating of Exit Separations
(1)Except as provided by Sentences (2) and (4) and Sentences 3.3.5.4.(3), 3.4.4.2.(2), 3.4.4.3.(1) and 3.13.3.1.(3), every exit shall be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required by Subsection 3.2.2., but not less than 45 min, for
(a)the floor assembly above the storey, or
(b)the floor assembly below the storey, if there is no floor assembly above.
(2)The fire-resistance rating of the fire separation referred to in Sentence (1) need not be more than 2 h.
(3)If an exit stair in an assembly hall or theatre serves more than one balcony level, the exit stair shall be separated from the remainder of the building in conformance with Sentence (1).
(4)The path of exit travel may lead from an exit door or exit enclosure through open air parking that is located below a roof or floor assembly that is part of the building served by the exit door or exit enclosure, where
(a)the portion of the path of exit travel that leads through the open air parking is not more than 9 m in length measured from the exit door to a point at ground level at the perimeter of the building,
(b)measures are taken to prevent vehicles intended to park in spaces adjacent to the path of exit travel from encroaching on the path of exit travel, and
(c)an alternate means of egress not leading through the open air parking is available from the interior side of the door opening onto the path of exit travel through the open air parking area.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.4.2. Exits Through Lobbies
(1)Except as permitted by Sentence (2), no exit from a floor area above or below the first storey shall lead through a lobby.
(2)Not more than one exit from a floor area is permitted to lead through a lobby, provided
(a)the lobby floor is not more than 4.5 m above grade,
(b)the path of travel through the lobby to the outdoors is not more than 15 m,
(c)the adjacent rooms or premises having direct access to the lobby do not contain a residential occupancy or an industrial occupancy, except that dwelling units may open directly onto the lobby, where
(i)from the interior of the exit stair that opens onto the lobby there is alternate means of egress not leading through the lobby and such means of egress is entirely within the same storey as the lobby, or
(ii)the floor area is sprinklered,
(d)except as required by Clause (g), the lobby is not located within an interconnected floor space other than as described in Sentence 3.2.8.2.(6),
(e)the lobby conforms to the requirements for exits, except that
(i)rooms other than service rooms and storage rooms are permitted to open onto the lobby,
(ii)the fire separation between the lobby and a room used for the sole purpose of control and supervision of the building need not have a fire-resistance rating,
(iii)the fire separation between the lobby and adjacent occupancies that are permitted to open onto the lobby need not have a fire-resistance rating provided the lobby and adjacent occupancies are sprinklered, and
(iv)passenger elevator entrances are permitted to open onto the lobby provided the elevator entrance doors are designed to remain closed except while loading and unloading, (See Note A-3.4.4.2.(2)(e))
(f)a fire separation, constructed in accordance with Sentence 3.4.4.1.(1), is maintained between the lobby and any exit permitted by this Sentence to lead through the lobby, and
(g)that if the exit serves a hotel, the lobby is not located within an interconnected floor space.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.4.4. Integrity of Exits
(1)A fire separation that separates an exit from the remainder of the building shall have no openings except for
(a)standpipe and sprinkler piping,
(b)electrical wires and cables, totally enclosed noncombustible raceways and noncombustible piping that serve only the exit,
(c)openings required by the provisions of Subsection 3.2.6.,
(d)exit doorways,
(e)wired glass and glass block permitted by Article 3.1.8.16., and
(f)a sprinkler protected glazed wall assembly conforming to Article 3.1.8.20.
(2)Exits within scissors stairs and other contiguous exit stairways shall be separated from each other by a smoke-tight fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the floor assembly through which they pass.
(3)Fire separations separating contiguous stairs described in Sentence (2) shall not be pierced by doorways, ductwork, piping or any other openings that affect the continuity of the separation.
(4)A fuel-fired appliance shall not be installed in an exit.
(5)An exit shall not be used as a plenum for a heating, ventilating or air-conditioning system.
(6)An exit shall be designed for no purpose other than for exiting, except that an exit is permitted also to be designed to serve as an access to a floor area.
(7)A service room shall not open directly into an exit.
(8)Storage rooms, washrooms, toilet rooms, laundry rooms and similar ancillary rooms shall not open directly into an exit.
(9)Service spaces referred to in Sentence 3.2.1.1.(8) shall not open directly into an exit.
(10)In elementary and secondary schools, an exit shall be designed so that it does not serve as an access from one portion of a floor area to another portion of the same floor area.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.5.1. Exit Signage
(1)Except as provided by Sentences (8) and (9), every exit door shall have an exit sign providing visual information placed over or adjacent to it if the exit serves
(a)a building more than 2 storeys in building height,
(b)a building having an occupant load of more than 150, or
(c)a room or floor area that has a fire escape as part of a required means of egress.
(2)Except as provided by Sentence (7), every exit sign providing visual information shall
(a)be visible on approach to the exit,
(b)consist of a green and white or lightly tinted graphical symbol meeting the colour specifications referred to in ISO 3864-1, "Graphical symbols – Safety colours and safety signs – Part 1: Design principles for safety signs and safety markings," and
(c)conform to ISO 7010, "Graphical symbols – Safety colours and safety signs – Registered safety signs," for the following symbols:
(i)emergency exit left,
(ii)emergency exit right,
(iii)90-degree directional arrow, and
(iv)45-degree directional arrow. (See Note A-3.4.5.1.(2)(c))
(3)Internally illuminated exit signs shall
(a)be continuously illuminated, and
(b)where illumination of the sign is powered by an electrical circuit, be constructed in conformance with CSA C22.2 No. 141, "Emergency Lighting Equipment."
(4)Externally illuminated exit signs shall be continuously illuminated by a light fixture supplied by an electrical circuit.
(4.1)Photoluminescent and self-luminous exit signs shall
(a)conform to CAN/ULC-S572, "Photoluminescent and Self-Luminous Signs and Path Marking Systems,"
(b)be labelled in accordance with the time duration for which they have been tested and listed,
(c)be so installed that upon failure of the regular power they will continue to be illuminated for the applicable time duration specified in Clause 3.2.7.4.(1)(b), and
(d)be continuously illuminated if reliant on an external energy source to energize the reflective coating of the sign. (See Note A-3.4.5.1.(4.1))
(5)If illumination of an exit sign is provided from an electrical circuit, that circuit shall
(a)serve no equipment other than emergency lighting in the area where exit signs are installed, and
(b)be connected to an emergency power supply as described in Sentence 3.2.7.4.(1).
(6)Where no exit is visible from a public corridor, from a corridor used by the public in a Group A or B major occupancy or from principal routes serving an open floor area having an occupant load of more than 150, an exit sign conforming to Clauses (2)(b) and (c) with an arrow or other indicator pointing at the direction of egress shall be provided.
(7)Except for egress doorways described in Sentence 3.3.2.4.(4), an exit sign conforming to Sentences (2) to (5) shall be placed over or adjacent to every egress doorway from rooms with an occupant load more than 60 in Group A, Division 1 occupancies, dance halls, licensed beverage establishments and other similar occupancies that, when occupied, have lighting levels below the level that would provide easy identification of the egress doorway.
(8)Except for suite doors opening directly to the exterior, every exit serving a hotel shall have an exit sign placed over or adjacent to it.
(9)An exit sign is not required within a suite containing a Group B, Division 3 occupancy if the following requirements are met:
(a)the suite contains sleeping accommodation for not more than 10 persons, and
(b)not more than 6 occupants require assistance in evacuation in case of an emergency.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.5.2. Exit Signs with Tactile Information
(1)An exit sign displaying the word "EXIT" in tactile form that complies with Article 3.8.3.1. shall be mounted on the approach side of exit doors described in Sentence 3.4.5.1.(1), in the direction of travel to the exit.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.5.3. Signs for Stairs and Ramps at Exit Level
(1)In a building more than 2 storeys in building height, any part of an exit ramp or stair that continues up or down past the lowest exit level shall be clearly marked by a sign indicating that it does not lead to an exit.
(2)An exit stair serving a building more than 6 storeys in building height shall be clearly marked by signs indicating that it does not lead to an exit at the roof level. (See Note A-3.4.5.3.(2))
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OBC Div. B 3.4.6.11. Doors (See also Sentence 3.8.3.6.(17))
(1)The distance between a stair riser and the leading edge of a door during its swing shall be not less than 300 mm.
(2)Except as provided in Sentence (3) and where a threshold is used to contain spillage, a threshold for a doorway in an exit shall be not more than 13 mm higher than the surrounding finished floor surface.
(3)No exit door shall open directly onto a step except that, if there is danger of blockage from ice or snow, an exit door is permitted to open onto not more than one step which shall be not more than 150 mm high.
(4)Exit doors shall be clearly identifiable. (See Note A-3.4.6.11.(4))
(5)No door leaf in an exit doorway with more than one leaf shall be less than 610 mm wide.
(6)Where an exit door leading directly to the outside is subject to being obstructed by parked vehicles or storage because of its location, a visible sign or a physical barrier prohibiting such obstructions shall be installed on the exterior side of the door.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.6.12. Direction of Door Swing
(1)Except for doors serving a single dwelling unit and except as permitted by Sentences (2) and (3) and Article 3.4.6.14., every exit door shall
(a)open in the direction of exit travel, and
(b)swing on its vertical axis.
(2)Except in a high-hazard industrial occupancy, an exit door need not swing in the direction of exit travel where it serves
(a)a room, suite or floor area having an occupant load of not more than 60 persons, or
(b)as part of a means of egress from more than one floor area and the floor areas so served have a total occupant load of not more than 60 persons.
(3)Exit doors need not conform to Sentence (1) where they serve
(a)storage garages serving not more than one dwelling unit,
(b)accessory buildings serving not more than one dwelling unit, or
(c)storage suites not more than 28 m² in area that are on the first storey of a warehouse and open directly outdoors at ground level.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.6.13. Self-Closing Devices
(1)An exit door that is normally required to be kept closed
(a)shall be provided with a self-closing mechanism, and
(b)shall not be secured in an open position except as permitted by Sentence 3.1.8.14.(1).
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OBC Div. B 3.4.6.15. Revolving Doors
(1)Except as permitted by Sentence (3), a revolving door, if used, shall
(a)be collapsible,
(b)have hinged doors providing equivalent exiting capacity located adjacent to it,
(c)be used as an exit from the ground floor level only,
(d)be not less than 3 m from the foot of any stairway, and
(e)have all glass in door leaves and enclosure panels conforming to
(i)CAN/CGSB-12.1, "Safety Glazing," or
(ii)CAN/CGSB-12.11-M, "Wired Safety Glass."
(2)Except as permitted by Sentence (3), a revolving door shall not be considered to have an exiting capacity for more than 45 persons.
(3)An electrically powered revolving door is not required to conform to Sentences (1) and (2) provided
(a)the door leaves will collapse and stop automatic rotation of the door system and not obstruct the doorway if a force not more than that specified in Sentence 3.4.6.16.(2) is applied at the centre of a door leaf,
(b)the door leaves are capable of being opened from inside the building without requiring keys, special devices, or specialized knowledge of the door opening mechanism,
(c)the allowable exiting capacity is based on the clear width of passage through the door enclosure when the doors are fully collapsed,
(d)a permanent sign, whose centre line is between 1,000 mm and 1,500 mm above the floor, is placed on each face of each door leaf indicating the method for collapsing the door leaf in an emergency, and
(e)glass used for door leaves and enclosure panels is safety glazing conforming to
(i)CAN/CGSB-12.1, "Safety Glazing," or
(ii)CAN/CGSB-12.11-M, "Wired Safety Glass."
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OBC Div. B 3.4.6.16. Door Release Hardware
(1)Except for dwelling units, except for devices on doors serving a contained use area or an impeded egress zone designed to be released in conformance with Article 3.3.1.13., and except as permitted by Sentence (5), locking, latching and other fastening devices on every exit door shall permit the door to be readily opened from the inside with not more than one releasing operation and without requiring keys, special devices or specialized knowledge of the door opening mechanism. (See Note A-3.4.6.16.(1))
(2)If a door is equipped with a latching mechanism, a device complying with Sentence (3) shall be installed on
(a)every exit door from a floor area containing an assembly occupancy having an occupant load more than 100,
(b)every door leading to an exit lobby from an exit stair shaft, and every exterior door leading from an exit stair shaft in a building having an occupant load more than 100, and
(c)every exit door from a floor area containing a high-hazard industrial occupancy.
(3)The device required in Sentence (2) shall
(a)extend across not less than one-half of the width of the door,
(b)release the latch, and
(c)allow the door to swing wide open when a force not more than that specified in Sentence 3.8.3.3.(7) is applied to the device in the direction of travel to the exit.
(4)Except as required by Sentence 3.8.3.3.(7), every exit door shall be designed and installed so that, when the latch is released, the door will open under a force of not more than 90 N, applied at the knob or other latch releasing device.
(5)Except as permitted by Sentence 3.3.1.13.(6), electromagnetic locks that do not incorporate latches, pins or other similar devices to keep the door in the closed position are permitted to be installed on exit doors other than doors described in Sentence (6) provided
(a)the building is equipped with a fire alarm system conforming to Subsection 3.2.4.,
(b)the locking device, and all similar devices in the access to exit leading to the exit door, are installed as ancillary devices to the fire alarm system and release immediately upon activation of
(i)the alarm signal where a single-stage fire alarm system is installed,
(ii)except as provided in Subclause (iii), the alert signal where a 2-stage fire alarm system is installed, or
(iii)the alarm signal of a 2-stage fire alarm system installed in a care, care and treatment or detention occupancy or in a retirement home,
(c)the locking device releases immediately upon loss of power controlling the electromagnetic locking mechanism and its associated auxiliary controls,
(d)the locking device releases immediately upon actuation of a manually operated switch readily accessible only to authorized personnel and located near the main entrance of the building or in the central alarm and control facility of Sentence 3.2.6.7.(1),
(e)the locking device releases immediately upon a fault being detected in the electrical circuit between the fire alarm control panel and the controller of the locking device,
(f)the locking device releases immediately upon the operation of a manual station for the fire alarm system located on the wall not more than 600 mm from the door,
(g)a visual information sign complying with Article 3.8.3.1. that displays the words emergency exit unlocked by fire alarm is permanently mounted on the door,
(h)a tactile information sign complying with Article 3.8.3.1. that displays the words emergency exit unlocked by fire alarm is permanently mounted near the door,
(i)upon release, the locking device must be reset manually by the actuation of the switch referred to in Clause (d),
(j)the operation of any by-pass switch, where provided for testing of the fire alarm system, causes an audible signal and a visual signal to be indicated at the fire alarm annunciator panel and at the monitoring station referred to in Sentence 3.2.4.8.(4),
(k)emergency lighting conforming to 3.2.7.3.(1) is provided, and
(l)where they are installed on doors providing emergency crossover access to floor areas from exit stairs in accordance with Article 3.4.6.18.,
(i)the locking device releases immediately upon the operation of a manual station for the fire alarm system located on the wall on the exit stair side not more than 600 mm from the door,
(ii)a visual information sign displaying the words re-entry door unlocked by fire alarm that complies with Article 3.8.3.1. is permanently mounted on the door on the exit stair side, and
(iii)a tactile information sign displaying the words re-entry door unlocked by fire alarm that complies with Article 3.8.3.1. is permanently mounted near the door on the exit stair side. (See Note A-3.4.6.16.(5))
(6)Reserved.
(7)Door release hardware for the operation of the doors referred to in this Section shall be installed between 900 mm and 1,100 mm above the finished floor.
(8)Except as permitted by Sentences (9) and (10), electromagnetic locks are not permitted to be installed on exit doors
(a)described in Clause (2)(a),
(b)or
(c)
(b) serving an elementary or secondary school, or
(c) leading directly from a high-hazard industrial occupancy.
(9)Electromagnetic locks are permitted to be installed on an exterior door leading from an exit stairway in a building containing only a Group B, Division 2 major occupancy, a Group B, Division 3 major occupancy or a retirement home.
(10)Electromagnetic locks are permitted to be installed on an exit door that serves only a gaming premises if
(a)the gaming premises is located within a sprinklered floor area,
(b)smoke detectors are installed in each room and each corridor accessible to the public,
(c)a force of not more than 90 N applied to the door opening hardware initiates an irreversible process that will release the locking device within 15 s and not relock until the door has been opened, and
(d)a legible sign conforming with Clauses (5)(g) and(h) is permanently mounted on the exit door to indicate that the locking device will release within 15 s of applying pressure to the door release hardware.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.6.19. Floor Numbering and Identification of Stair Shafts
(1)Arabic numerals indicating the assigned floor number in both visual and tactile forms in accordance with Article 3.8.3.1. shall, be mounted permanently on the wall on the stair side and on the floor side at the latch side of doors to exit stair shafts.
(2)Upper case letters indicating the designation assigned to each exit stair shaft in both visual and tactile forms in accordance with Article 3.8.3.1. shall mounted permanently on the wall on the stair side and on the floor side at the latch side of doors to exit stair shafts.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.7.1. Scope
(1)Except as permitted by Sentence (2), fire escapes shall not be erected on a building.
(2)If it is impracticable to provide one or more of the exit facilities listed in Article 3.4.1.4., fire escapes conforming to Articles 3.4.7.2. to 3.4.7.7. are permitted to serve floor areas in an existing building provided the floor areas served are
(a)not in an elementary or secondary school or a retirement home,
(b)not more than 2 storeys above ground level in care, care and treatment or detention occupancies, and
(c)not more than 5 storeys above ground level in other occupancies.
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OBC Div. B 3.4.7.3. Access to Fire Escapes
(1)Access to fire escapes shall be from corridors through doors at floor level, except that access from a dwelling unit is permitted to be through a casement window having an unobstructed opening not less than 1,100 mm high by 550 mm wide with a sill height of not more than 900 mm above the inside floor.
(2)The clear area of a fire escape balcony onto which a door opens, shall be not less than 1 m².
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OBC Div. B 3.4.7.4. Protection of Fire Escapes
(1)If a fire escape serves any storey above the second, openings located in a zone described in Sentence (2), including access doorways in the exterior walls of the building to which the fire escape is attached, shall be protected by closures conforming to Subsection 3.1.8.
(2)The zone referred to in Sentence (1) extends from any balcony, platform or stairway of a fire escape to a distance
(a)3 m horizontally,
(b)10 m below, and
(c)1.8 m above.
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OBC Div. B Table 3.5.3.1. Fire Separation for Vertical Transportation Space
Table 3.5.3.1 — Fire Separation for Vertical Transportation Space Forming Part of Sentences 3.5.3.1.(1) and 3.5.3.2.(1) Fire-Resistance Rating of Fire Separation Required for Floor Assembly | Minimum Fire-Resistance Rating of Vertical Service Space for Elevator Hoistway | Minimum Fire-Resistance Rating of Vertical Service Space for Dumbwaiters less than 45 min | 45 min | N/A 45 min | 45 min | 45 min 1 h | 1 h | 45 min 1.5 h | 1 h | 1 h 2 h or more | 1.5 h | 1 h
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OBC Div. B 3.5.3.1. Fire Separations for Elevator Hoistways
(1)Except as permitted by Sentence (2), a vertical service space used as an elevator hoistway shall be separated from all other portions of each adjacent storey by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating conforming to Table 3.5.3.1. for the fire-resistance rating required by Subsection 3.2.2. for
(a)the floor assembly above the storey, or
(b)the floor assembly below the storey, if there is no floor assembly above.
(2)Passenger elevators, other than those provided for firefighters in accordance with Article 3.2.6.5., are permitted to be located within interconnected floor space without being enclosed in a hoistway separated from the remainder of the building, provided the elevator machinery is located in a room separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for hoistways by Sentence (1).
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OBC Div. B 3.5.3.3. Fire Separations for Elevator Machine Rooms
(1)Except as permitted by Sentence (2), a room containing elevator machinery shall be separated from all other parts of the building by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the vertical service space containing the elevator hoistway.
(2)A room containing elevator machinery need not be separated from the elevator hoistway that it serves provided the room and the hoistway are separated from all other parts of the building by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the vertical service space containing the elevator hoistway.
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