Code Library › Volume 1 › Section 3.3 — Safety Within Floor Areas (See Note A-3.3.)
PART 3 — FIRE PROTECTION, OCCUPANT SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITYUpdated for the 2024 Ontario Building Code

3.3.5.7.Vestibules

(1) If access is provided through a fire separation between a storage garage and a Group A, Division 1 or Group B occupancy or a retirement home, the access shall be through a vestibule conforming to Sentence (4). (2) Reserved. (3) In a building more than 3 storeys in building height, access through a fire separation between a storage garage and a Group A, Division 2, 3 or 4, or a Group C occupancy, shall be through a vestibule conforming to Sentence (4). (4) If access is provided through a vestibule, as required by Sentences (1), (3) and 3.3.5.4.(1), the vestibule shall (a) be not less than 1.8 m long, (b) be ventilated (i) naturally to outside air by a vent that has an unobstructed area of not less than 0.1 m 2 for each door that opens into the vestibule but not less than 0.4 m², or (ii) mechanically at a rate of 14 m3/h for each square metre of vestibule floor surface area, and (c) have openings between the vestibule and an adjoining occupancy provided with self-closing doors with no hold- open devices.
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Code text is reproduced for reference from the Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24, 2024 Building Code Compendium). This page is provided for general information and is not an official copy. Always verify requirements against the official Ontario Building Code and confirm with your local building department.