THE ONTARIO BUILDING CODE | DOORWAYS AND DOORS

3.8.3.3. Doorways and Doors

(1) Every doorway that is located in a barrier-free path of travel shall have a clear width of not less than 860 mm when

the door is in the open position. (See Appendix A.)

(2) Except as provided in Sentence 3.3.4.11.(11) and except where no bathroom within the suite is at the level of the

suite entrance door to which a barrier-free path of travel is provided in accordance with Sentence 3.8.2.1.(1), the doorway

to at least one bathroom and to each bedroom at the same level as such bathroom within a suite of residential occupancy

shall have, when the door is in the open position, a clear width of not less than,

(a) 760 mm where the door is served by a corridor or space not less than 1 060 mm wide, and

(b) 810 mm where the door is served by a corridor or space less than 1 060 mm wide.

(See Appendix A.)

(3) Door opening devices that are the only means of operation shall,

(a) be designed to be operable using a closed fist, and

(b) be mounted not less than 900 mm and not more than 1 100 mm above the finished floor.

(See Appendix A.)

(4) Except as permitted by Sentence (12), every door that provides a barrier-free path of travel through a barrier-free

entrance required by Article 3.8.1.2. shall be equipped with a power door operator if the entrance serves a building

containing a Group A, Group B, Division 2 or 3, Group C, Group D or Group E occupancy. (See Appendix A.)

(5) Except as permitted by Sentence (12), where a barrier-free entrance required by Article 3.8.1.2. incorporates a

vestibule, a door leading from the vestibule into the floor area shall be equipped with a power door operator in a building

containing a Group A, Group B, Division 2 or 3, Group C, Group D of Group E occupancy.

(6) A door shall be equipped with a power door operator where the door serves,

(a) a washroom for public use required to be barrier-free, or

(b) a Group A occupancy within a Group C major occupancy apartment building.

(7) Except as permitted in Sentence (8), and except for doors with power operators, closers for doors in a barrier-free

path of travel shall be designed to permit doors to open when a force of not more than 38 N is applied to the handles, push

plates or latch-releasing devices in the case of exterior doors and 22 N in the case of interior doors.

(8) Sentence (7) does not apply to doors at the entrances to dwelling units, or where greater forces are required in order

to close and latch the doors against prevailing differences in air pressures on opposite sides of the doors. (See

Appendix A.)

(9) Except for doors at the entrances to dwelling units, closers for interior doors in a barrier-free path of travel shall

have a closing period of not less than 3 seconds measured from when the door is in an open position of 70° to the

doorway, to when the door reaches a point 75 mm from the closed position, measured from the leading edge of the latch

side of the door. (See Appendix A.)

(10) Unless equipped with a power door operator, a door in a barrier-free path of travel shall have a clear space on the

latch side extending the height of the doorway and not less than,

(a) 600 mm beyond the edge of the door opening if the door swings toward the approach side,

(b) 300 mm beyond the edge of the door opening if the door swings away from the approach side, and

(c) 300 mm beyond both sides of a sliding door.

(See Appendix A.)

(11) Vestibules located in a barrier-free path of travel,

(a) shall be arranged to allow the movement of wheelchairs between doors, and

(b) shall provide,

(i) where the doors into the vestibule are in series, a distance between the doors of at least 1 500 mm plus the

width of any door that swings into the space in the path of travel from one door to another, and

(ii) where the doors into the vestibule are not aligned, a turning diameter of 1 500 mm within the vestibule clear

of any door swing.

(See Appendix A.)

(12) Only the active leaf in a multiple leaf door in a barrier-free path of travel need conform to the requirements of this

Article.

(13) Except as provided in Clause 3.8.3.4.(1)(c), the floor surface on each side of a door in a barrier-free path of travel

shall be level within a rectangular area,

(a) as wide as the door plus the clearance required on the latch side by Sentence (10), and

(b) whose dimension perpendicular to the closed door is not less than the width of the barrier-free path of travel but

need not exceed 1 500 mm.

(14) Where a vision panel is provided in a door in a barrier-free path of travel, such panel shall be at least 75 mm in

width and be located so that,

(a) the bottom of the panel is not more than 900 mm above the finished floor, and

(b) the edge of the panel closest to the latch is not more than 250 mm from the latch side of the door.

(15) A door in a barrier-free path of travel consisting of a sheet of glass shall be marked with a continuous opaque strip

that,

(a) shall be colour and brightness contrasted to the background of the door,

(b) shall be at least 50 mm wide,

(c) shall be located across the width of the door at a height of 1 350 mm to 1 500 mm above the finished floor, and

(d) may incorporate a logo or symbol provided such logo or symbol does not diminish,

(i) the opacity of the strip,

(ii) the width of the strip,

(iii) the colour and brightness contrast of the strip to the background of the door, and

(iv) the continuity of the strip across the width of the door.

(16) Reserved.

(17) Except where a proximity scanning device is installed in conformance with Sentence (18), the control for a power

door operator required by Sentence (4), (5) or (6) shall,

(a) have a face dimension of not less than,

(i) 150 mm in diameter where the control is circular, or

(ii) 50 mm by 100 mm where the control is rectangular,

(b) be operable using a closed fist,

(c) be located so that,

(i) its centre is located not less than 900 mm and not more than 1 100 mm from the finished floor or ground, or

(ii) it extends from not more than 200 mm to not less than 900 mm above the finished floor or ground,

(See Appendix A.)

(d) be located not less than 600 mm and not more than 1 500 mm beyond the door swing where the door opens towards

the control,

(e) be located to allow persons to activate the opening of the door from either direction of travel,

(f) be located so that the path of travel is not obstructed,

(g) be located in a clearly visible position, and

(h) contain a sign incorporating the International Symbol of Access.

(18) A proximity scanning device that activates a power door shall be capable of detecting a person in a wheelchair. (See

Appendix A.)

(19) A normally occupied floor area that is not required by Article 3.8.2.1. to have a barrier-free path of travel shall

comply with the following requirements:

(a) all doorways in public corridors in the normally occupied floor area shall comply with Sentence (1),

(b) door opening devices that are the only means of operation on doors in the normally occupied floor area shall comply

with Sentence (3), (See Appendix A.)

(c) where a vision panel is provided in a door in the normally occupied floor area, the panel shall comply with Sentence

(14),

(d) doors consisting of a sheet of glass in the normally occupied floor area shall comply with Sentence (15), and

(e) where a power door operator is installed for doors in the normally occupied floor area, the control for the power

door operator shall comply with Sentence (17).

2012 Building Code Compendium, Volume 1, (July 1, 2022 update), p.187-189

© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2022. Reproduced with permission.