The Ontario Building Code | Basements
3.3.5.3. basements
(1) A basement shall not be used for the storage, manufacture or handling of volatile solids, liquids or gases that generate explosive air-vapour mixtures or for processes that involve explosive dusts.
(2) Entrances and exits to a basement and to rooms containing buildingservices shall be separate from the remainder of the buildingin a building in which,
(a) the storage, manufacture or handling of volatile materials can generate explosive air-vapour mixtures, or
(b) processes occur that produce explosive dusts.
(3) Basements and rooms referred to in Sentence (2) shall be separated from the remainder of the building with a vapour-tight separation.
In Plain Language
Basements in industrial buildings can't be used for storing or handling explosive dusts, vapours, or similar hazardous materials, and where such materials are present elsewhere in the building, basement entrances and exits must be kept separate from the rest of 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.