10.3.1.1 — General

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (3), all buildings shall be ventilated in accordance with this Part. (2) Except in storage garages and repair garages covered by Article 6.2.2.3., the rates at which outdoor air is supplied in buildings by ventilation systems shall be not less than the rates required by ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1, “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality”. (3) Self-contained mechanical ventilation systems serving a house or an individual dwelling unit shall conform to, (a) this Part, or (b) Subsection 9.32.3. (4) Live/work units shall be mechanically ventilated in accordance with the requirements of Sentence (1).

(1) In a residential occupancy, air from one suite shall not be circulated to any other suite or to a public corridor or public stairway. (2) Except as permitted by Sentence (3) and Sentence 6.2.3.8. (6), air duct systems serving storage garages shall not be directly interconnected with ductwork serving other areas of the building. (3) Where exhaust ducts are provided in conformance with Sentence 6.2.3.8. (6), they may exhaust through an enclosed storage garage prior to exhausting to the outdoors provided, (a) the storage garage exhaust system runs continuously, (b) the capacity of the storage garage exhaust system is equal to or exceeds the volume of the exhaust entering the garage, and (c) a leakage rate 1 smoke/fire damper rated in accordance with CAN/ULC-S112.1, “Leakage Rated Dampers for Use in Smoke Control Systems”, is provided near the duct outlet location in the storage garage to prevent air from the storage garage from entering the exhaust ductwork system in the event the building’s exhaust fan is shut down. (4) Except for corridors conforming to Sentence 3.3.1.4. (4) or as permitted in Sentences (5) and (6), a public corridor or corridor serving the public shall not be used as a portion of a supply, return or exhaust air system serving adjoining areas, other than as part of a supply air system serving toilet rooms, bathrooms, shower rooms and similar auxiliary spaces opening directly to the public corridor or corridor used by the public. (5) A public corridor may be used as part of an engineered smoke control system. (6) Infiltration due to corridor pressurization is permitted into a residential occupancy from a public corridor.

(1) The return-air system shall be designed to handle the entire air supply. (2) Except as provided in Sentences (3) and (4), return ducts shall be constructed of material having a surface flame-spread rating of not more than 150. (3) Where any part of a return duct will be exposed to radiation from the heat exchanger or other radiating part within the furnace, such part of a return duct directly above or within 600 mm of the outside furnace casing shall be noncombustible. (4) Return ducts serving solid fuel-fired furnaces shall be constructed of noncombustible material. (5) Combustible return ducts shall be lined with noncombustible material below floor registers, at the bottom of vertical ducts and under furnaces having a bottom return. (6) Spaces between studs and joists used as return ducts shall be separated from the unused portions of such spaces by tight-fitting metal stops or wood blocking. (7) A vertical return duct shall have openings to return air on not more than 1 floor. (8) A public corridor shall comply with Sentences 6.2.3.9. (4) and (5). (9) The return-air system shall be designed so that the negative pressure from the circulating fan cannot affect the furnace combustion air supply nor draw combustion products from joints or openings in the furnace or flue pipe. (10) Except as provided in Sentence (14), return-air from a dwelling unit shall not be recirculated to any other dwelling unit. (11) Except for floor levels that are less than 900 mm above or below an adjacent floor level that is provided with a return-air inlet, at least one return-air inlet shall be provided in each floor level in a dwelling unit. (12) Provision shall be made for the return of air from all rooms by leaving gaps beneath doors, using louvred doors or installing return duct inlets. (13) Return-air inlets shall not be installed in an enclosed room or crawl space that provides combustion air to a furnace. (14) In a house containing two dwelling units, return-air from one dwelling unit may be recirculated to the other dwelling unit, provided a duct-type smoke detector is installed in the supply or return air duct system serving the entire house which would turn off the fuel supply and electrical power to the heating system upon activation of such detector.

(1) Glass sidelights greater than 500 mm wide that could be mistaken for doors, glass in storm doors and glass in sliding doors within or at every entrance to a house or an individual dwelling unit and in public areas shall be, (a) safety glass of the tempered or laminated type conforming to CAN/CGSB-12.1-M, “Tempered or Laminated Safety Glass”, or (b) wired glass conforming to CAN/CGSB-12.11-M, “Wired Safety Glass”. (2) Except as provided in Sentence (4), glass in entrance doors to houses or individual dwelling units and in public areas, other than the entrance doors described in Sentence (1), shall be safety glass or wired glass of the type described in Sentence (1) where the glass area exceeds 0.5 m2 and extends to less than 900 mm from the bottom of the door. (3) Except as provided in Sentence (4), transparent panels that could be mistaken as a means of egress shall be protected by barriers or railings. (4) Sliding glass partitions that separate a public corridor from an adjacent occupancy and that are open during normal working hours need not conform to Sentences (2), (3) and (5), except that such partitions shall be suitably marked to indicate their existence and position. (5) Except as provided in Sentence (4), every glass or transparent door accessible to the public shall be equipped with hardware, bars or other permanent fixtures designed so that the existence and position of such doors is readily apparent. (6) Glass, other than safety glass, shall not be used for a shower or bathtub enclosure.

(1) Except as required in Article 9.9.10.1. and Sentence (3), the minimum window glass area for rooms in buildings of residential occupancy or rooms that are used for sleeping shall conform to Table 9.7.2.3. (2) The unobstructed glass area of a door or skylight is considered equivalent to that of a window. (3) Work areas in live/work units shall conform to Clause 3.7.2.1. (2)(a). (4) Where rooms with different requirements for window glass area are combined as described in Sentence 9.5.1.4. (1), the more restrictive requirement shall govern.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), every surface to which access is provided, including but not limited to flights, ramps, exterior landings, porches, balconies, mezzanines, galleries and raised walkways, shall be protected by a guard on each side that is not protected by a wall for the length, where, (a) there is a difference in elevation of more than 600 mm between the walking surface and the adjacent surface, or (b) the adjacent surface within 1.2 m from the walking surface has a slope of more than 1 in 2. (2) Guards are not required, (a) at loading docks, (b) at floor pits in repair garages, or (c) where access is provided for maintenance purposes only. (3) Reserved (4) Doors in buildings of residential occupancy, where the finished floor on one side of the door is more than 600 mm above the floor or other surface or ground level on the other side of the door, shall be protected by, (a) a guard in accordance with this Subsection, or (b) a mechanism capable of controlling the free swinging or sliding of the door so as to limit any clear unobstructed opening to not more than 100 mm. (5) Except as provided in Sentence (6), openable windows in buildings of residential occupancy shall be protected by, (a) a guard in accordance with this Subsection, or (b) a mechanism capable of controlling the free swinging or sliding of the openable part of the window so as to limit any clear unobstructed opening to a size that will prevent the passage of a sphere having a diameter more than 100 mm. (6) Windows need not be protected in accordance with Sentence (5), where, (a) the window serves a dwelling unit that is not located above another suite, (b) the only opening having greater dimensions than those allowed by Clause (5)(b) is a horizontal opening at the top of the window, (c) the top surface of the window sill is located more than 480 mm above the finished floor on one side of the window, or (d) the window is located in a room or space with the finished floor described in Clause (c) located less than 1 800 mm above the floor or ground on the other side of the window. (7) Except as provided in Sentence (8), glazing installed over stairs, ramps and landings that extends to less than 1 070 mm above the surface of the treads, ramp or landing shall be, (a) protected by guards in accordance with this Subsection, or (b) non-openable and designed to withstand the specified lateral loads for guards as provided in Article 4.1.5.14. (8) In dwelling units, glazing installed over stairs, ramps and landings that extends to less than 900 mm above the surface of the treads, ramp or landing shall be, (a) protected by guards in accordance with this Subsection, or (b) non-openable and designed to withstand the specified lateral loads for guards as provided in Article 4.1.5.14. (9) Glazing installed in public areas that extends to less than 1 000 mm from the floor and is located above the second storey in buildings of residential occupancy shall be, (a) protected by guards in accordance with this Subsection, or (b) non-openable and designed to withstand the specified lateral loads for guards as provided in Article 4.1.5.14.

(1) Except where a door on the same floor level as the bedroom provides direct access to the exterior, every floor level containing a bedroom in a suite shall be provided with at least one outside window that, (a) is openable from the inside without the use of tools, (b) provides an individual, unobstructed open portion having a minimum area of 0.35 m² with no dimension less than 380 mm, and (c) maintains the required opening described in Clause (b) without the need for additional support. (2) Except for basement areas, the window required in Sentence (1) shall have a maximum sill height of 1 000 mm above the floor. (3) When sliding windows are used, the minimum dimension described in Sentence (1) shall apply to the openable portion of the window. (4) Where the sleeping area within a live/work unit is on a mezzanine with no obstructions more than 1 070 mm above the floor, the window required in Sentence (1) may be provided on the main level of the live/work unit provided the mezzanine is not more than 25% of the area of the live/work unit or 20 m2, whichever is less, and an unobstructed direct path of travel is provided from the mezzanine to this window. (5) Where a window required in Sentence (1) opens into a window well, a clearance of not less than 550 mm shall be provided in front of the window. (6) Where the sash of a window referred to in Sentence (5) swings towards the window well, the operation of the sash shall not reduce the clearance in a manner that would restrict escape in an emergency. (7) Where a protective enclosure is installed over the window well referred to in Sentence (5), such enclosure shall be openable from the inside without the use of keys, tools or special knowledge of the opening mechanism.