Evaluating Stakeholder Concerns About Proposed Single Egress Stairs: Residential Buildings in Canada, and What the Data Tells Us

Changes are being considered to the British Columbia, Ontario and National Building Codes in Canada to permit single egress stairs in residential buildings of three to eight storeys.

The purpose of this report is to summarize the views of proponents and opponents of this change, explore the findings of relevant research and data, and identify issues and vulnerabilities not currently addressed elsewhere.

Proponents note that single egress stairs will increase design flexibility and reduce costs for new low-rise and mid-rise residential buildings to help address the housing crisis, and are already permitted in some jurisdictions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and other locations.

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