The Ontario Building Code | Self-Closing Devices
3.1.8.11. Self-Closing Devices
(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) to (5) and 3.3.3.2.(5), every door in a fire separation shall be equipped with a self-closing device designed to return the door to the closed position after each use.
(2) Self-closing devices need not be provided on doors to freight elevators and dumbwaiters.
(3) In a building that is not more than 3 storeys in building height, a self-closing device is not required on a door that is located between a classroom and a corridor providing access to exit from the classroom, except that a self-closing device is required on a door between a hazardous classroom and the corridor in an elementary or secondary school.
(4) In a building that is not more than 3 storeys in building height, a self-closing device is not required on a door between a public corridor and an adjacent room or suite of business and personal services occupancy if the door is not located in,
(a) a dead-end portion of the corridor, or
(b) a corridor that serves a hotel.
(5) Within a fire compartment in a hospital or long-term care home that complies with the requirements of Article 3.3.3.5., a self-closing device is not required on a door that is located between,
(a) a patient’s or resident’s sleeping room and a corridor serving the patient’s or resident’s sleeping room, or
(b) a patient’s or resident’s sleeping room and an adjacent room that serves the patient’s or resident’s sleeping room.
In Plain Language
Doors in a fire separation generally need a self-closing device to return them to the closed position after use, though this is waived for freight elevator/dumbwaiter doors and, in buildings up to 3 storeys, for most classroom doors (except hazardous classrooms in schools).
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.