The Ontario Building Code | Exceptions to Special Protection
3.2.8.2. Exceptions to Special Protection
(1) A mezzanine need not terminate at a vertical fire separation nor be protected in conformance with the requirements of Articles 3.2.8.3. to 3.2.8.11. provided the mezzanine,
(a) serves a Group A, Division 1 major occupancy,
(b) serves a Group A, Division 3 major occupancy in a buildingnot more than 2 storeys in building height,
(c) serves a Group A, C, D, E or F major occupancy and the mezzanine conforms to Sentence 3.2.1.1.(3) or (8),
(d) is not considered a storey in Sentence 3.2.1.1.(4) in calculating building height provided the mezzanineis not more than 500 m2 in area and does not contain a Group B occupancy, or
(e) is not considered a storey in calculating building height in Sentence 3.2.1.1.(7).
(2) Except for floors referred to in Sentence 3.1.10.3.(1) and Article 3.2.1.2., openings through a horizontal fire separation for vehicular ramps in a storage garage are not required to be protected with closures and need not conform to this Subsection.
(3) If a closure in an opening in a fire separation would disrupt the nature of a manufacturing process, such as a continuous flow of material from storey to storey, the closure for the opening is permitted to be omitted provided precautions are taken to offset the resulting hazard.
(4) An interconnected floor space in a Group B, Division 1 occupancy need not conform to the requirements of Articles 3.2.8.3. to 3.2.8.11. provided the interconnected floor space does not interconnect more than 2 adjacent storeys.
(5) Except as permitted by Sentence (6), openings for stairways, escalators and inclined moving walks need not conform to the requirements in Articles 3.2.8.3. to 3.2.8.11. provided,
(a) the opening for each stairway, escalator or walk does not exceed 10 m2,
(b) the buildingis sprinklered throughout, and
(c) the interconnected floor space contains only Group A, Division 1, 2 or 3, Group D or Group E occupancies.
(6) An interconnected floor space need not conform to the requirements of Articles 3.2.8.3. to 3.2.8.11. provided,
(a) the interconnected floor space consists of the first storey and the storey next above or below it, but not both,
(b) the interconnected floor space is sprinklered, and
(c) the interconnected floor space contains only Group A, Division 1, 2 or 3, Group D, Group E, or Group F, Division 2 or 3 occupancies.