The Ontario Building Code | Fire Separations for Elevator Machine Rooms
3.5.3.3. Fire Separations for Elevator Machine Rooms
(1) Except as permitted by Sentence (2), a room containing elevator machinery shall be separated from all other parts of the buildingby a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the vertical service space containing the elevator hoistway.
(2) A room containing elevator machinery need not be separated from the elevator hoistway that it serves provided the room and the hoistway are separated from all other parts of the building by afire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the vertical service space containing the elevator hoistway.
3.5.4. Dimensions and Signs
In Plain Language
A room containing elevator machinery must generally be separated from the rest of the building by a fire separation rated at least as high as what's otherwise required, protecting this critical mechanical equipment from fire elsewhere in the building.
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.