The Ontario Building Code | Sliding Doors
3.3.1.11. Sliding doors
(1) Except as permitted by Sentence (2), a sliding door provided in the locations described in Article 3.3.1.10. shall,
(a) be designed and installed to swing on the vertical axis in the direction of travel to the exitwhen pressure is applied, and
(b) be identified as a swinging door by means of a label or decal affixed to it.
(2) In a Group B, Division 1 occupancy, or in an impeded egress zone in other occupancies, sliding doors used in an access to exit need not conform to Sentence (1) and Article 3.3.1.10.
(3) Movable partitions used to separate a public corridor from an adjacentbusiness and personal services occupancy or a mercantile occupancy need not conform to Sentence (1) and Sentences 3.3.1.10.(1) and (2) provided the partitions are not located in the only means of egress.
In Plain Language
This clause requires corridors used as part of a means of egress to be built as fire separations in many buildings, protecting the escape route itself from fire spreading in from an adjoining room.
This is a plain-language summary of the 2012/2017 Ontario Building Code text above, for general understanding only and not a substitute for the Code. Always confirm current requirements against the 2024 edition (O.Reg. 163/24) or a qualified professional before construction.