September 10th, 2024

As noted in previous newsletters, the Province announced its intent to introduce changes to the BC Building Code (BCBC) to allow Single Egress Stair (SES) buildings. On August 29th, they announced those changes to the BCBC. The Minister of Housing, the Hon. Ravi Kahlon, signed a Ministerial Order regarding SES buildings on August 27th to: 

• “Enable single exit stair buildings, up to 6 storeys in height, 
• Limit the occupancy load to 24 people, per floor, 
• Limit the travel distance to the exit, 
• Provide automatic sprinkler systems throughout buildings, including balconies, 
• Manage smoke movement and include other fire protections, and 
• Require high-level local fire department and high-level building operations and management to ensure ongoing fire system inspections.”  

The Ministerial Order is based on a Single Egress Stair Building Designs: Policy and Technical Options Report that was released in June. The Province has also released a Convenience Copy of the Technical Solutions for Single Exit Stair Building Designs for the BCBC SES amendments. Please also see UDI’s comments (attached) on the changes. 

July 3rd, 2024

On June 27th, the Hon. Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing, announced that this fall, the Government “… will be introducing code changes to allows SES,” buildings. However, this will be restricted to “… communities with professional fire services.”     

The Minister also released a Single Egress Stair Building Designs: Policy and Technical Options Report, British Columbia Report that was commissioned in January, which includes: 

• A review of “… current international trends in buildings with single egress stairs (SES) in comparison with current SES requirements in British Columbia;” 
• A review of “… potential risks and economic benefits of allowing larger SES buildings in British Columbia;” and  
• Suggested “… possible options for changes to building code requirements for SES buildings in British Columbia.” 

In Canada, SES buildings have had a restricted maximum building area and height in building codes, even though other jurisdictions such as Seattle, New York City, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have had more flexible building codes that allow taller and larger SES buildings (see graphic here). 

The Report has several options for building and fire code revisions to mitigate risks of SES buildings, including: 

• “Require a maximum building height of 6 storeys in order to not trigger high building requirements …;” 
• Enhanced sprinkling requirements – including for “… all balconies, decks and covered patios …;” 
• Require pressurization of public corridors and/or the exit stair shaft; 
• “Require the fire separation (enclosure) of the exit stair to be of noncombustible construction or require finishes in the exit to comply with requirements for use in a building where noncombustible construction is required, with additional requirements for flooring to those required … for an unsprinklered high building;” 
• Exit stair enclosures being mandated to have a two-hour fire separation; 
• Increasing the minimum clear width of the exit stair to 1,500 mm, but also mandating architectural designs “… limit the potential for excess space within an exit that may be inadvertently used as storage or garbage space throughout the life of the building;” 
• Mandating that suite doors have a 45 minute or more fire protection rating and be magnetic hold-open doors; 
• Having smoke detectors installed in units; and  
• Additional policies for SES buildings “… for post-occupancy maintenance and inspection …”.   

The Minister also shared a YouTube video on the advantages of SES buildings.