What is an exit route?
An exit route is a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from
any point within a workplace to a place of safety. An exit route
consists of three parts: Exit access - portion of an exit route that
leads to an exit.
Exit - portion of an exit route that is generally separated from other
areas to provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge.
Exit discharge - part of the exit route that leads directly outside or
to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with
access to the outside.
Basic RequirementsAn exit route must be permanent. Each
exit route must be a permanent part of the workplace. 1910.36(a)(1)
An exit must be separated by fire resistant materials. Construction
materials used to separate an exit from other parts of the workplace
must have a one-hour fire resistance-rating if the exit connects three
or fewer stories and a two-hour fire resistance-rating if the exit
connects four or more stories. 1910.36(a)(2)
Openings into an exit must be limited. An exit is permitted to have
only those openings necessary to allow access to the exit from occupied
areas of the workplace, or to the exit discharge. An opening into an
exit must be protected by a self-closing fire door that remains closed
or automatically closes in an emergency upon the sounding of a fire
alarm or employee alarm system. Each fire door, including its frame and
hardware, must be listed or approved by a nationally recognized testing
laboratory. Section 1910.155(c)(3)(iv)(A) of this part defines "listed"
and § 1910.7 of this part defines a "nationally recognized testing
laboratory." 1910.36(a)(3)
Exit RoutesThe number of exit routes must be adequate.
1910.36(b)
At least two exit routes must be available in a workplace to permit
prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an
emergency, except as allowed in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. The
exit routes must be located as far away as practical from each other so
that if one exit route is blocked by fire or smoke, employees can
evacuate using the second exit route. 1910.36(b)(1)
More than two exit routes must be available in a workplace if the
number of employees, the size of the building, its occupancy, or the
arrangement of the workplace is such that all employees would not be
able to evacuate safely during an emergency. 1910.36(b)(2)
A single exit route is permitted where the number of employees, the
size of the building, its occupancy, or the arrangement of the
workplace is such that all employees would be able to evacuate safely
during an emergency. 1910.36(b)(3)
Note to paragraph 1910.36(b): For assistance in determining the number
of exit routes necessary for your workplace, consult NFPA 101-2000,
Life Safety Code.
In every building or structure exits shall be so arranged and
maintained as to provide free and unobstructed egress from all parts of
the building or structure at all times when it is occupied. No lock or
fastening to prevent free escape from the inside of any building shall
be installed except in mental, penal, or corrective institutions where
supervisory personnel is continually on duty and effective provisions
are made to remove occupants in case of fire or other
emergency.1910.36(b)(4)
Every exit shall be clearly visible or the route to reach it shall be
conspicuously indicated in such a manner that every occupant of every
building or structure who is physically and mentally capable will
readily know the direction of escape from any point, and each path of
escape, in its entirety, shall be so arranged or marked that the way to
a place of safety outside is unmistakable. Any doorway or passageway
not constituting an exit or way to reach an exit, but of such a
character as to be subject to being mistaken for an exit, shall be so
arranged or marked as to minimize its possible confusion with an exit
and the resultant danger of persons endeavoring to escape from fire
finding themselves trapped in a dead-end space, such as a cellar or
storeroom, from which there is no other way out. 1910.36(b)(5)
In every building or structure equipped for artificial illumination,
adequate and reliable illumination shall be provided for all exit
facilities. 1910.36(b)(6)
In every building or structure of such size, arrangement, or occupancy
that a fire may not itself provide adequate warning to occupants, fire
alarm facilities shall be provided where necessary to warn occupants of
the existence of fire so that they may escape, or to facilitate the
orderly conduct of fire exit drills. 1910.36(b)(7)
Every building or structure, section, or area thereof of such size,
occupancy, and arrangement that the reasonable safety of numbers of
occupants may be endangered by the blocking of any single means of
egress due to fire or smoke, shall have at least two means of egress
remote from each other, so arranged as to minimize any possibility that
both may be blocked by any one fire or other emergency conditions.
1910.36(b)(8)
Compliance with this subpart shall not be construed as eliminating or
reducing the necessity for other provisions for safety of persons using
a structure under normal occupancy conditions, nor shall any provision
of the subpart be construed as requiring or permitting any condition
that may be hazardous under normal occupancy conditions. 1910.36(b)(9)
Exit DischargeEach exit discharge must lead directly
outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space
with access to the outside. 1910.36(c)(1)
The street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space to which an
exit discharge leads must be large enough to accommodate the building
occupants likely to use the exit route. 1910.36(c)(2)
Exit stairs that continue beyond the level on which the exit discharge
is located must be interrupted at that level by doors, partitions, or
other effective means that clearly indicate the direction of travel
leading to the exit discharge. 1910.36(c)(3)
Exit Door AccessAn exit door must be unlocked from the
inside. 1910.36(d)
Employees must be able to open an exit route door from the inside at
all times without keys, tools, or special knowledge. A device such as a
panic bar that locks only from the outside is permitted on exit
discharge doors. 1910.36(d)(1)
Exit route doors must be free of any device or alarm that could
restrict emergency use of the exit route if the device or alarm fails.
1910.36(d)(2)
An exit route door may be locked from the inside only in mental, penal,
or correctional facilities and then only if supervisory personnel are
continuously on duty and the employer has a plan to remove occupants
from the facility during an emergency. 1910.36(d)(3)
Door HingesA side-hinged exit door must be used.
1910.36(e)
A side-hinged door must be used to connect any room to an exit route.
1910.36(e)(1)
The door that connects any room to an exit route must swing out in the
direction of exit travel if the room is designed to be occupied by more
than 50 people or if the room is a high hazard area (i.e., contains
contents that are likely to burn with extreme rapidity or explode).
1910.36(e)(2)
Exit Route Capacity
The capacity of an exit route must be adequate. 1910.36(f)
Exit routes must support the maximum permitted occupant load for each floor served. 1910.36(f)(1)
The capacity of an exit route may not decrease in the direction of exit route travel to the exit discharge. 1910.36(f)(2)
Note to paragraph 1910.36(f): Information regarding "Occupant load" is located in NFPA 101-2000, Life Safety Code.
Height and Width RequirementsAn exit route must meet
minimum height and width requirements. 1910.36(g)
The ceiling of an exit route must be at least seven feet six inches
(2.3 m) high. Any projection from the ceiling must not reach a point
less than six feet eight inches (2.0 m) from the floor. 1910.36(g)(1)
An exit access must be at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points.
Where there is only one exit access leading to an exit or exit
discharge, the width of the exit and exit discharge must be at least
equal to the width of the exit access. 1910.36(g)(2)
The width of an exit route must be sufficient to accommodate the
maximum permitted occupant load of each floor served by the exit route.
1910.36(g)(3)
Objects that project into the exit route must not reduce the width of
the exit route to less than the minimum width requirements for exit
routes. 1910.36(g)(4)
Outdoor Exit RoutesAn outdoor exit route is permitted.
1910.36(h)
The outdoor exit route must have guardrails to protect unenclosed sides
if a fall hazard exists; 1910.36(h)(1)
The outdoor exit route must be covered if snow or ice is likely to
accumulate along the route, unless the employer can demonstrate that
any snow or ice accumulation will be removed before it presents a
slipping hazard; 1910.36(h)(2)
The outdoor exit route must be reasonably straight and have smooth,
solid, substantially level walkways; and 1910.36(h)(3)
The outdoor exit route must not have a dead-end that is longer than 20
feet (6.2 m). 1910.36(h)(4)
Design and Construction Requirements for Exit Routes
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