Standing Committee on Use and Egress

Terms of Reference

The Standing Committee on Use and Egress (SC-UE) prepares recommendations for requirements in the National Model Construction Code Documents relating to:

• safety of occupants during emergencies
• safety of occupants during normal use (guards, stair design)
• accessibility for persons with physical disabilities
• fire safety planning
• safety on and around construction and demolition sites (related to movement of persons)
• firefighting access
• health of occupants
• fire alarm and detection systems (related to notification of occupants).

These provisions are typically located in the following documents:

• Parts 3 and 8 of Division B of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC)
• Parts 2, 5 and 6 of Division B of the National Fire Code of Canada (NFC)
• Part 3 of the National Farm Building Code of Canada (NFBC).

The SC-UE:

• prepares recommendations to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) regarding the technical content of documents within its terms of reference
• is responsible for developing objective-based versions of the requirements within its terms of reference
• advises the CCBFC regarding changes to the scope and application of the NBC, the NFC and the NFBC and to the SC-UE matrix
• advises the CCBFC concerning the need for documents ancillary to the NBC, the NFC, and the NFBC and for progeny documents for subjects not within the current scope of the NBC, the NFC or the NFBC
• advises the CCBFC concerning the need for standards to be referenced by the NBC, the NFC or the NFBC and identifies needed changes to those standards
• advises the CCBFC on the need for code-related research.

Only requirements that fit within the scope, and at least one of the objectives, of the NBC, the NFC and other documents as approved by the CCBFC can be considered.

The SC-UE provides advice to, and receives advice from, other committees.

The SC-UE may establish task groups and working groups to assist it in maintaining the existing contents of the codes as well as in developing new subject areas within the committee's terms of reference.