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OBC DIVISION B · PART 3 · SECTION 3.5 — VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION

What are the code requirements for dumbwaiters and material lifts in Ontario?

Dumbwaiters and freight or material lifts are elevating devices: they must conform to the applicable CSA B44 requirements, be registered with the TSSA, and run in hoistways enclosed by fire separations under Subsection 3.6.3. Lifts carrying people follow different rules.

Code reference
Dumbwaiters must be designed, constructed and installed in conformance with the applicable elevating devices safety standard, and their hoistways are vertical service spaces requiring fire-rated enclosure with protected openings. Devices intended to carry persons, including platform lifts for persons with physical disabilities, are governed by separate standards such as CSA B355 rather than the dumbwaiter provisions.
OBC Division B, Section 3.5.

Paraphrased for clarity — open this provision in the BUILDAiD Library for the exact wording.

What this means in practice

Restaurants, libraries, hospitals and small warehouses often add dumbwaiters late in design, forgetting that the shaft is a rated vertical service space penetrating floor assemblies, so plan the enclosure, rated access doors and structural openings from the start. Never allow a material-only device to be used for people; passenger-carrying platform lifts fall under CSA B355 and barrier-free provisions instead. TSSA registration, inspection and licensing apply to most powered devices, so include that scope in specifications.

Plain language

Small service lifts that move food, books or goods between floors still count as regulated elevating devices. The shaft they travel in needs fire-rated walls, the device needs provincial registration, and they must never be used to carry people.

Related questions

What are the elevator requirements under the Ontario Building Code?Which buildings need an elevator under the Ontario Building Code?When is a firefighters' elevator required in Ontario, and what must it include?

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This page is provided for general information. Building code requirements depend on your specific project, occupancy and municipality, and code editions change. Always verify requirements against the current Ontario Building Code and confirm with your local building department.