Ontario Pork, through its participation on the Canadian Farm Building Association (CFBA) task team, has taken a lead role from a commodity perspective in assessing the impact of proposed building code changes (federal) proposed changes to the National Building Code and National Fire Code for Farm Buildings Greater than 600m2.

The pork industry is dedicated to the safety of its structures and to human health and safety. Ontario’s pork producers are committed to ensuring that any proposed changes are reasonable and ensure continued safety for farm buildings and occupants.

Codes Canada is conducting a review of several building codes including: 

• National Building Code of Canada 2015 (NBC)
• National Fire Code of Canada 2015 (NFC)
• National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2017 (NECB)

The proposed changes focus on the protection of human health and safety, not the building structure or livestock. This is important to understand the perspective from which the changes are proposed.

The proposed changes come from a National Building Code Committee which is making recommendations to the National Farm Building Code for adoption in 2023 and might come into effect in Ontario in 2024.  Each province decides if it will use the National Code or not; for farm buildings, currently, Ontario uses its own code.

The proposed changes are in the areas of structural design, fire protection and occupant safety, egress doorways, and electrical and mechanical systems.
 

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Last updated on March 11, 2020