Proposed Change 1765

The current requirements in Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) address the risks presented by protruding building elements only in public corridors within a means of egress. However, protruding elements in other locations and paths of travel can also present a safety issue for the 5.4% of Canadians 15 years old or older that are living with low vision that cannot be corrected by corrective lenses¹. According to a study performed by the Association of Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, over 40% of respondents with low vision indicated they have head-level accidents at least once a year and as often as once per month; 12% indicated they have a head-level accident more than once a month². Requirements in Part 3 restrict the location and geometry of protruding building elements in areas of the building that are beyond public corridors within a means of egress, but these requirements have not yet been introduced in Part 9.

Requirements on obstructions in paths of travel that are inconsistent between Parts 3 and 9 may cause confusion and potential injury to building occupants, especially those with low vision. 

Part 9 requirements should be aligned with those of Part 3 so that persons with low vision can maintain the same expectations for protection from protruding building elements along paths of travel. This proposed change would harmonize the level of safety and usability of Part 9 buildings with Part 3 buildings with respect to protruding building elements. 

References

1. Statistics Canada, “Canadian Survey on Disability Reports: A demographic, employment and income profile of Canadians with disabilities aged 15 years and over, 2017”, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm

2. Manduchi, R. and Kurniawan, S. (2011). Mobility-related accidents experienced by people with visual impairment. AER Journal: Research and Practice in Visual Impairment and Blindness, 4(2), 44-54.

This proposed change limits the location and geometry of protruding building elements in most paths of travel in Part 9 buildings by introducing new Subsection 9.5.6. This proposed change would harmonize the level of safety between Part 3 and Part 9 buildings, and help ensure that persons with low vision can maintain consistent expectations about the presence of protrusions in paths of travel in both types of buildings.

To limit the impact on design flexibility, the proposed requirements permit elements that are detectable by canes and exempts paths in service rooms and dwelling units.

While it may take some time for designers to get accustomed to applying the proposed requirements for protruding building elements, this proposed change is not expected to increase the cost of construction.

Statistics Canada reports that 5.4% of Canadians who are 15 years old or older live with low vision that cannot be corrected by corrective lenses¹. This proposed change is expected to improve building safety and usability for persons with low vision who could benefit from the reduced probability of being impacted by an unnoticed protruding building element as they travel along a path of travel.

Reference

1. Statistics Canada, “Canadian Survey on Disability Reports: A demographic, employment and income profile of Canadians with disabilities aged 15 years and over, 2017”, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm

This proposed change can be enforced using the infrastructure currently in place to enforce the Code. Protruding building elements can be measured with simple measurement tools.

Occupants would be less likely to collide with protruding building elements and risk injury.

Designers and builders would need to ensure that various building features met these requirements.

Authorities having jurisdiction would need to evaluate if protruding building elements comply with Code requirements.