The Ontario Building Code | Exits through Lobbies

3.4.4.2. Exits through Lobbies

(1) Except as permitted by Sentence (2), no exitfrom a floor area above or below the first storey shall lead through a lobby.

(2) Not more than one exit from a floor area is permitted to lead through a lobby provided,

(a) the lobby floor is not more than 4.5 m above grade,

(b) the path of travel through the lobby to the outdoorref ="http://thehandyforce.com/doors/" title ="Toronto Door installer">doors is not more than 15 m,

(c) the adjacent rooms or premises having direct access to the lobby do not contain a residential occupancy or an industrial occupancy, except that dwelling units may open directly onto the lobby where,

(i) from the interior of the exit stair that opens onto the lobby there is alternate means of egress not leading through the lobby and such means of egress is entirely within the same storey as the lobby, or

(ii) the floor area is sprinklered,

(d) except as required by Clause (g), the lobby is not located within an interconnected floor space other than as described in Sentence 3.2.8.2.(6),

(e) the lobby conforms to the requirements for exits, except that,

(i) rooms other than service rooms and storage rooms are permitted to open onto the lobby,

(ii) the fire separation between the lobby and a room used for the sole purpose of control and supervision of the buildingneed not have a fire-resistance rating,

(iii) the fire separation between the lobby and adjacent occupancies that are permitted to open onto the lobby need not have a fire-resistance rating provided the lobby and adjacent occupancies are sprinklered, and

(iv) passenger elevator entrances are permitted to open onto the lobby provided the elevator entrance doors are designed to remain closed except while loading and unloading,

(f) a fire separation, constructed in accordance with Sentence 3.4.4.1.(1), is maintained between the lobby and any exit permitted by this Sentence to lead through the lobby, and

(g) that if the exitserves a hotel, the lobby is not located within an interconnected floor space.