The Ontario Building Code | General
3.16.1.2. General
(1) A shelf and rack storage system shall not be designed for production, manufacturing, assembling, disassembling or ancillary administrative functions.
(2) A shelf and rack storage system may be designed for the storage, accessing, retrieval, packing and distribution of commodities.
(3) A high hazard industrial occupancy shall not contain a shelf and rack storage system.
(4) Except as required by Sentence 3.16.3.2.(3), a shelf and rack storage system shall not exceed 24 m in height.
In Plain Language
A shelf and rack storage system can't be designed for production, manufacturing, or assembly functions, only for storage, retrieval, packing, and distribution, and it can't be located within a high-hazard industrial occupancy.
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.