3.3.1.3 — Means of Egress

(1) A rooftop enclosure provided for elevator machinery, a stairway or a service room used for no purpose other than for service to the building, shall not be considered as a storey in calculating the building height. (2) Space under tiers of seats in a building of the arena type shall not be considered as adding to the building height provided the space is used only for dressing rooms, concession stands and similar purposes incidental to the major occupancy of the building. (3) Except as required by Sentence (5), the space above a mezzanine need not be considered as a storey in calculating building height provided, (a) the aggregate area of mezzanines that are not superimposed does not exceed 40% of the open area of the room in which they are located, and (b) except as permitted in Sentence (8) and Sentence 3.3.2.11. (3) the space above the mezzanine is used as an open area without partitions or subdividing walls higher than 1 070 mm above the mezzanine floor. (4) Except as required by Sentence (5), the space above a mezzanine need not be considered as a storey in calculating the building height provided, (a) the aggregate area of mezzanines that are not superimposed and do not meet the conditions of Sentence (3) does not exceed 10% of the floor area in which they are located, and (b) the area of mezzanine in a suite does not exceed 10% of the area of that suite. (5) Except as permitted by Sentences (6) and (7), each level of mezzanine that is partly or wholly superimposed above the first level of mezzanine shall be considered as a storey in calculating the building height. (6) Platforms intended solely for periodic inspection and elevated catwalks need not be considered as floor assemblies or mezzanines for the purpose of determining building height provided, (a) they are not used for storage, (b) they are constructed with noncombustible materials unless the building is permitted to be of combustible construction, and (c) where they are intended to be occupied, they have an occupant load of not more than four persons. (7) Mezzanines, elevated walkways and platforms that are intended to be occupied in Group F, Division 2 or 3 major occupancies need not be considered as storeys in calculating building height provided, (a) the building is of noncombustible construction, and (b) the occupant load is not more than four persons. (8) The space above a mezzanine conforming to Sentence (3) is permitted to include an enclosed space whose area does not exceed 10% of the open area of the room in which the mezzanine is located, provided the enclosed space does not obstruct visual communication between the open space above the mezzanine and the room in which it is located. (9) A service space in which facilities are included to permit a person to enter and to undertake maintenance and other operations pertaining to building services from within the service space need not be considered a storey if it conforms to Articles 3.2.5.15. and 3.3.1.23. and Sentences 3.2.4.20. (12), 3.2.7.3. (2), 3.3.1.3. (7), 3.4.2.4. (3) and 3.4.4.4. (9).

(1) Except for dwelling units, a minimum of two egress doorways located so that one doorway could provide egress from the room or suite as required by Article 3.3.1.3. if the other doorway becomes inaccessible to the occupants due to a fire that originates in the room or suite, shall be provided for every room and every suite, (a) whose area is more than 15 m2 and is used for, (i) a high hazard industrial occupancy, or (ii) a hazardous room, (b) intended for an occupant load more than 60, (c) in a floor area that is not sprinklered if, (i) the area of a room or suite is more than the value in Table 3.3.1.5.A., or (ii) the travel distance within the room or suite to the nearest egress doorway, is more than the value in Table 3.3.1.5.A., (d) in a floor area that is sprinklered and does not contain a high hazard industrial occupancy if, (i) the travel distance to an egress doorway is more than 25 m, or (ii) the area of the room or suite is more than the value in Table 3.3.1.5.B., or (e) where the area of the room is more than 100 m2 and it is a hazardous classroom in elementary or secondary school. (2) Where two egress doorways are required by Sentence (1), they shall be placed at a distance from one another equal to or greater than one-third of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the room or suite to be served, measured as the shortest distance that smoke would have to travel between the nearest required egress doors. (3) Except for a mezzanine within a dwelling unit, every mezzanine that is not required to terminate at a vertical fire separation in Article 3.2.8.2. shall have two egress facilities placed in such a manner that one facility could provide egress from the mezzanine if the other facility becomes inaccessible to the occupants of the mezzanine due to a fire that might originate in the room or suite in which the mezzanine is located, (a) where the occupancy of the mezzanine, room or suite is classified as Group F, Division 1, (b) where the mezzanine is intended for an occupant load of more than 60 persons, (c) in a floor area that is not sprinklered if, (i) the area of a mezzanine is more than the value in Table 3.3.1.5.A., or (ii) the travel distance to an egress doorway or an egress facility is more than the value in Table 3.3.1.5.A., or (d) in a floor area that is sprinklered if, (i) the travel distance to an egress doorway or an egress facility is more than 25 m, or (ii) the area of the mezzanine is more than the value in Table 3.3.1.5.B. (4) For the purpose of Clauses (3)(c) and (d), (a) if the room or suite in which the mezzanine is located is permitted to have one egress doorway, the travel distance is measured from any point on the mezzanine to that doorway, or (b) if the room or suite in which the mezzanine is located is required to have more than one egress doorway, the travel distance is measured from any point on the mezzanine to the nearest egress facility leading from the mezzanine. (5) Except for a mezzanine which is not considered as a storey in calculating building height in Sentence 3.2.1.1. (4), where the space below a mezzanine is enclosed, an egress facility from the mezzanine shall not lead into the enclosed space.

(1) Except as required by Sentence (8), single storey dwelling units in an apartment building need not lead to a public corridor or exterior passageway on the same storey provided the dwelling units are served by private stairways leading directly to a public access to exit on the storey, (a) immediately above, and (b) immediately below. (2) Except as required by Sentence (8) and as permitted by Sentences (3) and (4), a dwelling unit containing more than 1 storey shall have an exit door or an egress door opening directly into a public access to exit from the uppermost storey and from the lowest storey of the dwelling unit so that each storey is served by an exit or egress door located not more than 1.5 m above or below its floor level. (3) A single exit is permitted from a dwelling unit provided the exit is an exterior doorway not more than 1.5 m above adjacent ground level and, (a) it is not necessary to travel up or down more than 1 storey to reach the exit door, or (b) the uppermost floor level opens to a balcony not more than 6 m above adjacent ground level. (4) An egress door from either the uppermost storey or the lowest storey in a dwelling unit, as required in Sentence (2), need not be provided, (a) except as required by Sentence (8), if that storey is served by a stairway that, (i) leads to a public access to exit, (ii) has no direct access to any other storey in the dwelling unit, and (iii) is separated from the other storeys in the dwelling unit by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min, (b) on the uppermost storey in the dwelling unit if the dwelling unit has not more than 2 storeys above the first storey of the building, (c) if it is not necessary to travel either more than 18 m or more than 1 storey up or down within the dwelling unit to reach the egress door, or (d) if that storey is, (i) provided with a balcony conforming to Sentence (7), (ii) not more than 2 storeys above or below the dwelling unit egress door, and (iii) in a building that is not more than 6 storeys in building height. (5) In a building of residential occupancy not more than 3 storeys in building height, a doorway from a dwelling unit is permitted to open directly into an exit stairway provided the dwelling unit has a second and separate means of egress. (6) If a dwelling unit has a second and separate means of egress, one means of egress from a dwelling unit is permitted to pass through, (a) an interior corridor served by a single exit, (b) an exterior balcony served by a single exit stairway, or (c) an exterior passageway served by a single exit stairway. (7) Where a balcony is provided to meet the requirements of Sentence (3) or (4), the balcony shall have, (a) a solid floor having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for a floor assembly between suites, and (b) an area providing not less than 1.5 m2 per suite occupant, based on occupant load, and a minimum dimension of 1 200 mm. (8) Each dwelling unit in a building conforming to Subclause 3.2.2.44. (1)(a)(ii) shall be served by, (a) a direct exit that is an exterior doorway located not more than 1.5 m above adjacent ground level, or (b) a stairway that, (i) leads to an exterior doorway not more than 1.5 m above adjacent ground level, (ii) has no access to another dwelling unit, and (iii) is separated from the remainder of the building with a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h.

(1) Except as permitted by Sentences (2) to (4) and (6), every floor area intended for occupancy shall be served by at least two 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, 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, (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). (6) Every room containing an assembly occupancy serving a hotel, and located in the building containing the hotel, shall be provided with no fewer than, (a) three separate egress doorways from the room where the occupant load is more than 600 persons, and (b) four separate egress doorways from the room where the occupant load is more than 1 000 persons. (7) Each egress doorway in Sentence (6) shall be considered as contributing not more than, (a) one-third of the required width where three egress doorways are required, and (b) one-fourth of the required width where four egress doorways are required.