Means of Egress

Exit Routes
Subpart E
From
29 CFR 1910.35
To
29 CFR 1910.38
Introduction
under emergency situations People
need to have:
1. a safe and efficient means of
leaving a building or facility
2. that means should have minimal
problems of finding and using.
Definitions
Means of Egress:
a continuous and unobstructed way of
exit travel from any point in a building
or structure to a public way,
consists of three separate and distinct
parts:
1- The way of exit access
2- The Exit,
3- The exit discharge.

The Exit
The way of exit access
The Exit
The Exit
The exit discharge
Exit Access
Is that portion of a means of egress which
leads to an entrance to an exit
Exit Access
Access to Exits
No mirrors be placed on or near exit
doors
Routes of exit access must never be
toward a high hazard location, unless
effectively shielded
Minimum width of any way of exit
access is 28 inches (70 cm).
Exterior Routes of Exit Access
Permanent, reasonably straight
route of travel
No obstructions of exterior access
route
No dead ends longer than 20 feet
(6 m)
Permanent route of travel
Exit Route Capacity and Dimensions
Capacity
must not
decrease in
the
direction of
exit route
travel to
the exit
discharge
Exit Route
Capacity and Dimensions
Must support the maximum
permitted occupant load for
each floor
Capacity must not decrease in
the direction of exit route travel
to the exit discharge
Exit Route Capacity and Dimensions
Ceiling must be at
least 7- ft.(2.29
cm) high with no
projection reaching a
point less than 6 ft.-8
in. (2.03 m)from floor
An exit access must
be at least 28 in.(70
cm) wide at all points
7- ft.
2.29 m
6 ft.- 8 in.
2.03 m
Is that portion of a means of egress which is separated from all other
spaces of the building or structure by construction or equipment to
provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge
Exit
Means of Egress, General

Protective Enclosure of Exits:
When an exit is protected by separation from
Other parts of the building, the separating
Construction shall meet the following:
1- Three Stories or less 1hr. Fire resistance
2- Four or more stories 2hrs. Fire
resistance
One - hour fire
resistance - rating:
three or fewer stories
Exit Routes:
Basic Requirements
An exit must be
separated by
fire resistant
materials.
Exit enclosure
Two - hour fire
resistance
rating for four or
more stories.
Four Stories or More
Three Stories or Less
Is that portion of a means of egress between the termination of an exit
and a public way.
Exit Discharge
Exit discharge
. . . must lead directly outside or to a street,
walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space
with access to the outside . . .
(This area) must be large enough . . .
Fabricating shop
Offices Storage
Exit access
Exit
Discharge
1910.36 (c)(1) and (2)
Exit
Discharge
General Requirements
1. Exits should be sufficient for prompt
and convenient escape of occupants in
emergency.
2. During escape building structure should
not cause danger to occupants.
3. No locks or devices prevent emergency
egress except in specialized facilities.
Continued
4-Means of egress shall be clearly visible
and understandable to occupants who
are physically and mentally capable to
know the direction of escape.
5-Minimum ceiling height of 7 feet, 6
inches (2.28 m)
6- Projections from the ceiling (lights,
etc.) must be at least 6 feet, 8 inches
(2.03 m) from the floor

Exit Doors
May be locked from the
inside only in
mental,
penal, or
correctional facilities
where there is constant
supervision and the employer
has a plan to remove
occupants from the facility
during an emergency.
EXIT
Continued
7-Any doorway or passageway not
constituting an exit or way to occupants to
reach an exit, shall be clearly marked Not
an Exit.
8-Adequate and reliable illumination shall be
provided for all exit facilities in every
building or structure.
9- Signs clearly visible with the word EXIT in
plain letters at least 6 inches high and at
least a (19 mm) stroke width

Exit Marking
Each exit must be clearly
visible and marked with
an Exit sign
Each exit route door must
be free of decorations or
signs that obscure the
visibility of the door
Not an Exit
Exit Markings
Illuminated by a light source at least 5 foot-candles
on the illuminated surface

Exit signs are not to be obscured by furnishings,
decorations, etc.
Maintenance
Maintenance is important to prevent
protective device failures or
obstructed travel during an
emergency.

Every required exit, way of approach
thereto, and way of travel from the
exit into the street or open space
shall be continuously maintained free
of all obstructions or impediments to
full instant use in the case of fire or
other emergency.
Maintenance
Every automatic sprinkler
system, fire detection
and alarm system, exit
lighting, fire door, and
other item or equipment,
where provided, shall be
continuously in proper
operating condition.

Width and Capacity of Means of Egress
Means of egress shall be measured in units of exit
width of 22 inches (56 cm)
Capacity in number of persons per unit of exit
width shall be as follows:
Level Egress Components 100 persons/unit
Inclined Egress Components 60 persons/unit
Exit Routes Width and Capacity
Capacity is a measure of persons per exit
width. To understand capacity, it is
important to understand the term exit
width.
Means of egress shall be measured in exit
width units of 22 inches. (56 cm)
Fractions of an exit width unit shall be
counted as:
Zero if the fractional unit is less than
12 inches (30 cm)
One-half if the fraction is greater than
12 inches and less than 22 inches. (30-
56 cm)
Egress Capacity and Occupant Load
When capacity has been determined for each
means of egress, the projected occupant load
for the means of egress must be calculated.
Capacity of means of egress shall be sufficient
for occupant load of any space served.
Continued
Occupant Load is the maximum number of persons
that may be in a space at any time.
The occupant load of any building =the floor area /
the occupant load factor for individual occupancies.
Capacity of the exits at a floor can be based on
individual floor occupant loads (not additive).
Some important occupant load factors:
- Classroom area 20 Ft
2
1.9 m
2
- Research Labs 50 Ft
2
4.6 m
2
- Offices 100 Ft
2
9.3 m
2
- General and High Hazard industrial 100 Ft
2
9.3 m
2

Number of Means of Egress
The minimum number of means of egress
from any story or portion thereof shall be
Two. (Remote from each other)
The minimum number of means of egress:
Occupant Load more than 500 but less than
1000: 3
Occupant Load more than 1000: 4
Number of Means of Egress
Arrangements of Exits
When multiple exits are required for a floor,
at least two of the exits shall be separated
from each other
as far as possible to minimize chances of more
than one being blocked.
the longest diagonal

The number of exit
routes must be
adequate.
Remotely
located to
provide options
for evacuation


Normally two or more
depending on
the size of the building,
its occupancy, or
the arrangement of the
workplace

Travel Distance to Exits
Distance to exits shall be measured from the
most remote point subject to occupancy.
Travel distance to at least one exit shall not
exceed 200 Ft. (60 m) in buildings not
sprinklered or exceed 250 Ft. (76 m) in
buildings protected through out by
approved supervised Sprinkler System.
Travel Distance
(a) Emergency Plans
(b) Written and oral emergency action plans.
An emergency action plan must be in
writing, kept in the workplace,
and available to employees for
review.
However, an employer with 10
or fewer employees may
communicate the plan orally to
employees.
(c) Minimum elements of an emergency action plan.
An emergency action plan must include at a minimum:
(1)Procedures for reporting a fire or other
emergency;
(2)Procedures for emergency evacuation,
including type of evacuation and exit route
assignments;
(3) Procedures to be followed by employees who
remain to operate critical plant operations
before they evacuate;
(4) (4) Procedures to account for all employees
after evacuation;





Verify that employees are safe.
(c) Minimum elements of an emergency action
plan.

(5) Procedures to be
followed by
employees
performing
rescue or
medical duties;
and

(c) Minimum elements of an emergency action plan.
(6) The name or job title
of every employee
who may be
contacted by
employees who need
more information
about the plan or an
explanation of their
duties under the plan.
What do I
do??
We do
this!
(d) Employee alarm system.
. . .The employee alarm
system must use a
distinctive
signal for each
purpose and.


An employer
must have
and maintain
an employee
alarm system.
(e) Training.
An employer must designate and train
employees to assist in a safe and orderly
evacuation of
other employees.
(f) Review of emergency action plan.
An employer must review the .
. . EAP. . . with each
employee covered by the
plan:
(1) When the plan is
developed or the employee
is assigned initially to a job;
(2) When the employee's
responsibilities under the
plan change; and
(3) When the plan is changed.
Informing
employees
Emergency Action Plan
Know what to do BEFORE
an emergency occurs!
Know where YOU are
supposed to
go if an evacuation occurs.