OSHA Academy - USA

MEANS OF EGRESS
Introduction:
This subpart deals with a subject which has been familiar to all of us
since our early childhood days. In school, or elsewhere, a sight so
familiar that we hardly take note of it is represented by the exit sign. We
see them in stores, factories, theaters, office buildings, hotels, practically
everywhere.
This subpart is about ensuring that when people need to have a safe and
efficient means of leaving a building or facility under emergency
circumstances, that means will be there and they will have minimal
problems finding it and using it.

During this lesson you will learn the general requirements imposed by 29
CFR 1910 for providing means of egress from buildings.

The entire Subpart E is promulgated from NFPA 101, Life Safety Code,
which is prepared, maintained, and published by the National Fire
Protection Association.
Since this code is used as the basis for most local fire codes, it is written
for general applicability. Keep in mind that your concern is its application
primarily for the protection of employees, not the preservation of
facilities.
The requirements in Subpart E are general and do not deal specifically
with specialized facilities or out of the ordinary uses of facilities.

Definitions:
Means of Egress: A means of egress is a continuous and unobstructed
way of exit travel from any point in a building or structure to a public
way and consists of three separate and distinct parts: the way of exit
access; the exit; and the way of exit discharge.

A means of egress comprises the vertical and horizontal ways of travel

and shall include intervening room spaces, doorways, hallways, corridors,
passageways, balconies, ramps, stairs, enclosures, lobbies, escalators,
horizontal exits, courts, and yards.

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
Note: The word "way" in Subpart E is used to mean a route or path rather
than a method.

Exit Access: Exit access is that portion of a means of egress which leads
to an entrance to an exit.

Exit: Exit is that portion of a means of egress which is separated from all
other spaces of the building or structure by construction or equipment as
required in this subpart to provide a protected way of travel to the exit
discharge.

Exit Discharge: Exit discharge is that portion of a means of egress

between the termination of an exit and a public way.

Emergency Action Plan: Means a plan for a workplace, or parts thereof,

describing what procedures the employer and employees must take to
ensure employees safety from fire or other emergencies.

Emergency Escape Route: The route that employees are directed to

follow in the event they are required to evacuate the workplace or seek a
designated refuge area.

High - hazard Contents: High-hazard contents shall be classified as

those which are liable to burn with extreme rapidity or from which
poisonous fumes or explosions are to be feared in the event of fire.

General Requirements:
A- Application:
This subpart contains general fundamental requirements essential to
providing a safe means of egress from fire and like emergencies.
The requirements in Subpart E are minimum requirements. The standards
do not prohibit better construction, more exits, or safer conditions that
these minimums set forth.
These requirements are not intended to apply to exits from vehicles,
vessels, or other mobile structures.

B- Fundamental Requirements:
This subparagraph contains requirements that apply to all buildings, new
or old, which are intended for human occupancy. They may be
summarized as follows:

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
- Shall have exits sufficient for prompt and convenient escape
of occupants in emergency.
- The Design of exits and other safeguards shall be such that
reliance for safety to life will not depend solely on any single
safeguard.
- Building Structures shall not cause danger to occupants
during period necessary for escape.
- There shall be no locks or devices to prevent emergency
egress except in specialized facilities, such as mental, penal,
or corrective institutions where attendants are on duty.
- Means of egress shall be clearly visible and understandable
to occupants who are physically and mentally capable to
know the direction of escape.
- Any doorway or passageway not constituting an exit or way
to reach an exit, but of such a character that it may be
mistaken for an exit, shall be clearly marked " Not an Exit."
- Adequate and reliable illumination shall be provided for all
exit facilities in every building or structure equipped for
artificial illumination.
- When fire may not itself provide adequate warning to
occupants, fire alarm facilities shall be provided where
necessary to warn occupants of existence of fire.
- Provisions for emergency egress shall not cause hazard
under normal occupancy conditions.

Employee Protection During Construction and Repair:

Buildings are normally not occupied during construction or during major
renovation phases. When construction or repair activity is in progress, for
whatever purpose, the occupants of the building shall be protected to the
same extent as if construction or repair were complete.
The activity shall not create any additional danger or handicap egress
beyond the normally permissible conditions of the building. When these
requirements cannot be met, the building or affected portion thereof shall
not be occupied.

Maintenance:
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.

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
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.

Means of Egress, General:

This section is devoted to the "components" of the means of egress.
Permissible Exit Components:
An exit shall consist only of the approved components. Exit components
shall be constructed as an integral part of the building or shall be
permanently affixed thereto. For instance, if a door to an exit or to a way
of exit access is not of the side-hinged, swinging type, it is not approved.

Protective Enclosure of Exits:

The measures of fire resistance is the fire resistance rating. That is the
time in hours that materials or assemblies have withstood a fire as
established by tests.
When an exit is protected by separation from other parts of the building,
the separating construction shall meet the following requirements:
1. Three stories or less - one hour fire resistance.
2. Four or more stories - two hour fire resistance.
3. Openings protected by approved self-closing
fire doors.
4. Openings in exit enclosures shall be limited to
those necessary for access to the enclosure from
normally occupied spaces and for egress from
the enclosure.

What this requirement means, essentially, is that the exit must survive
and provide protection long enough to be used by the occupants of a
building.

Width and Capacity of Means of Egress:

The capacity in number of persons per unit of exit width for approved
components of means of egress shall be as follows:

1. Level Egress Components (including

Class A ramps): 100 persons/unit
2. Inclined Egress Components (including
Class B ramps): 60 persons/unit

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
A class A ramp is one which has a slope no greater than 1 3/16 inches in
a 12 inch length, a width at least 44 inches, and no limit on the maximum
height between landings. A Class B ramp is one which has a slope of 1
3/16 to 2 inches in a 12-inch length, a width of 30 to 44 inches, and a
maximum height between landings of 12 feet.

Means of egress shall be measured in units of exit width of 22 inches.

Fractions of a unit shall not be counted as one-half a unit of exit width.
Egress capacity for approved components of means of egress shall be
based on the following:

Stairways Level components and

Use (Inch per person) class A ramps
{cm per person} (Inch per person)
{cm per person}
Board and Care 0.4 {1.0} 0.2 {0.5}
Detention and 0.3 {0.8} 0.2 {0.5}
Correctional
Health Care 0.6 {1.5} 0.5 {1.3}
Sprinklered
Health Care 1.0 {2.5} 0.7 {1.8}
Nonsprinklered
High Hazard 0.7 {1.8} 0.4 {1.0}
All Others 0.3 {0.8} 0.2 {0.5}

For class B ramps used for ascent, the width per person shall be increased
by 10 percent beyond what is required for Class A ramps.

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.

1. Capacity of means of egress shall be sufficient for

occupant load of any space served.
2. Occupant load is the maximum number of persons
that may be in a space at any time.
3. The occupant load in any building thereof shall not
be assumed to be less than the number determined by
dividing the floor area assigned to that use by the

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
occupant load factor for individual occupancies. (As
per table # 1)
4. Capacity of the exits at a floor can be based on
individual floor occupant loads (not additive).
5. Exit capacity must not decrease in direction of exit
travel.

Number of Means of Egress:

The minimum number of means of egress from any story or
portion thereof shall be two.

The minimum number of separate and remote means of
egress from all floors or portions thereof shall be as follows:
1. Occupant load more than 500 but not more than
1000: 3
2. Occupant load more than 1000: 4

Where exits serve more than one story, only the occupant
load of each story considered individually need be used in
computing the number of exits at that story, provided that
the required number of exits shall not be decreased in the
direction of exit travel.

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.

Access to Exits
The basic requirements include:
1. Exits must be readily accessible at all times
2. Doors from a room to an exit or way of exit access
shall be of the side-hinged, swinging type and must
swing with exit travel when the room is occupied by
more than 50 persons or used for a high hazard
occupancy.
3. Access to exits shall be disguised, covered,
concealed, or decorated in such a way as to confuse
their purpose.
4. Mirrors must not be placed on or near exit doors.
5. Routes of exit access shall never be toward a high
hazard location, unless effectively shielded.

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
6. Minimum width of any exit access is 28 inches
(Existing Buildings) and not less than 36 inch for
new buildings.

Exterior Routes of Exit Access

Under certain conditions it is permissible to plan an exterior route as a
way of exit access from one interior part of a building to another or to an
exterior exit. Such routes may include flat roof tops, enclosed courtyards,
balconies, etc.
Specific requirements for exterior access routes include:

• Smooth, solid, level floors.

• Guard rails on open sides above ground level.
• Covered by roof if snow or ice could accumulate.
• Permanent, reasonably straight route of travel.
• No obstruction to use of exterior access route.
• No dead ends longer than 20 feet.

Travel Distance to Exits:

1. Distance to exits shall be measured from the most remote
point subject to occupancy.
2. 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
supervisedsprinkler system.

Discharge from Exits

The requirements for exit discharge are:

1. Discharge directly to the street, or to yard, court,

or other open space leading to the street.
2. The discharge area, including the street, shall be
large enough to accommodate all who leave the
building from the exit.
3. Stairs and other exits shall be so arranged as to
make clear the direction of egress to the street.
Exit stairs that continue beyond the floor of
discharge shall be interrupted at the floor of
discharge by partitions, doors, or other effective
means.
Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer
 OSHA Academy - USA
Headroom
Means of egress shall have a minimum ceiling height of 7 feet, 6 inches
and any projection from the ceiling (lights, etc.) shall be at least 6 feet, 8
inches from the floor.

Changes in Elevation
Where a means of egress is not substantially level, such differences in
elevation shall be negotiated by stairs or ramps.

Maintenance and Workmanship

Any exit alarms or devices installed to restrict the improper use of an exit
shall not, even in cases of failure, prevent the emergency use of such exit.

Doors, stairs, ramps, passageways, signs, and all other components of

means of egress shall be of substantial, reliable construction and shall be
built and/or installed in a workmanlike manner.

Furnishings and Decorations

No furnishings or decorations shall be permitted which obscure or
obstruct the means of egress. This is particularly likely to occur during
holiday seasons.
No furnishings or decorations of an explosive or highly flammable
character are permitted.

Fire Protection Provisions

Subpart E requires that where protection – such as automatic sprinklers,
and fire retardant paints – are required and/or installed, they shall be
regularly inspected or tested, maintained, and replenished or renewed as
necessary to keep them in good operating condition.

Exit Marking
Exit markings fall into two categories:

Signs or markings which clearly identify an exit, or the way

to an exit.

Signs or markings which clearly identify doors or areas
which are not means of egress.

The requirements are:

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
1. Every exit shall be marked by a clearly visible sign with the word
EXIT in plainly legible letters at least 6 inches high and with at
least a ¾” stroke width.
2. When the way to an exit is not readily apparent, signs or markings
similar to exit signs shall be provided which also provide
directional information. Where arrows are used, they shall be
obvious as to the direction or the exit.
3. Doors, passageways, and stairways which are not means or egress
shall be clearly marked “NOT AN EXIT” or with other labeling to
show their true character, if they may be confused with access to
exits.
4. Exit signs shall be illuminated either by internal or external means
by a “ reliable” light source giving a value of not less than 5 foot-
candles on the illuminated surface.
5. Exit signs and exit access signs must be configured and located so
as to be readily visible. Other building appurtenances, such as
furnishings, decorations, or equipment, are not permitted to
obscure or detract from the attention value of the exit sign.

EMPLOYEE EMERGENCY PLANS AND FIRE

PREVENTION PLANS:
This section applies to all emergency action plans and fire prevention
plans required by a particular OSHA standard.

Emergency Action Plan

Elements
The emergency action plan must be in writing; except for employers with
10 or fewer employees, where the plan may be communicated orally to
employees. The plan must include, at a minimum, the following
elements:

1. Escape procedures and escape route assignments;

2. Critical operations shutdown procedures;
3. Procedure to account for all personnel;
4. Rescue and medical duties assignment;
5. Means of reporting fires and emergencies; And
6. Identification of responsible persons for further information.

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
The emergency action plan should address all potential emergencies that
can be expected in the workplace. It may be helpful to perform a hazard
audit to determine potentially toxic materials and unsafe conditions.

The employer should list in detail the procedures to be taken by those

employees who must remain behind to care for essential plant operations
until their evacuation becomes absolutely necessary. This may include

monitoring plant power supplies, water supplies, and other essential

services that cannot be shut down for every emergency alarm.

For emergency evacuation, the use of floor plans or workplace maps that
clearly show the emergency escape routes and safe or refuge areas should
be included in the plan. All employees must be told what actions they are
to take in the emergency situations that may occur in the workplace.

Alarm System
Employers shall establish an employee alarm system. Alarms should be
audible or seen by all people in the plant and should have an auxiliary

power supply in the event electricity is affected. The alarm should be

distinctive and recognizable as a signal to evacuate the work area or
perform actions designated under the emergency action plan.

Evacuation
The employer shall establish in the emergency action plan the types of
evacuation to be used in emergency circumstances. At the time of an
emergency, employees should know what type of evacuation is necessary
and what their role is in carrying out the plan.

The designation of refuge or safe areas for evacuation should be

determined and identified in the plan. In a building divided into fire zones
by fire walls, the refuge area may still be within the same building but in
a different zone from where the emergency occurs.

Training
Training is important to the effectiveness of an emergency plan.
1. Before implementing an emergency action plan, a sufficient
number of persons must be trained to assist in the safe and
orderly evacuation of employees. Training for each type of

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
disaster response is necessary so that employees know what
actions are required.
2. The employer shall review the plan with each employee
covered by the plan at the following times:

Initially when the plan is developed,

Whenever the employee’s responsibilities or
designated actions under the plan change, and

Whenever the plan is changed.
3. The employer shall review with each employee upon initial
assignment those parts of the plan which the employee must
know to protect themselves in the event of an emergency.
The employer should assure that an adequate number of employees are
available at all times during working hours to act as evacuation wardens
so that employees can be swiftly moved from the danger location to the
safe areas. Generally, one warden for each twenty employees in the
workplace should be able to provide adequate guidance and instruction at
the time of a fire emergency. The employees selected or who volunteer to
serve as wardens should be trained in the complete workplace layout and
the various alternative escape routes form the workplace. All wardens and
fellow employees should be made aware of handicapped employees who
may need extra assistance, such as using the buddy system, and of
hazardous areas to be avoided during emergencies. Before leaving,
wardens should check rooms and other enclosed spaces in the workplace
for employees who may be trapped or otherwise unable to evacuate the
area.
After the desired degree of evacuation is completed, the wardens should
be able account for or otherwise verify that all employees are in the safe
area.

Personal Protection
Effective personal protection is essential for any person who may be
exposed to potentially hazardous substances. In emergency situations,
employees may be exposed to a wide variety of hazardous circumstances.
It is extremely important that employees be adequately protected in these
situations.
Medical Assistance
In a major emergency, time is a critical factor in minimizing injuries.
Most small businesses do not have a formal medical program, but they
are required to have the following medical and first-aid services:
1. In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in close
proximity to the workplace that can be used for the treatment
Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer
 OSHA Academy - USA
of all injured employees, the employer must ensure that a
person or persons are adequately trained to render first aid.
2. Where the eyes or body of any employee may be exposed to
injurious corrosive materials, eye washes or suitable
equipment for quick drenching and flushing must be
provided in the work area for
immediate emergency use. Employees must be trained to use the
equipment.
3. The employer must ensure the ready availability of medical
personnel for advice and consultation on matters of
employee health. This does not mean that health care must
be provided, but rather that, if health problems develop in
the workplace, medical help will be available to resolve
them.

Fire Prevention Plan

Elements
The following elements, at a minimum, shall be included in a fire
prevention plan.
1. A list of all major work place hazards and their
proper handling and storage procedures,
potential ignition sources, and type of fire
equipment or systems to control a fire involving
them.
2. Names or job titles responsible for maintenance
of equipment and ignition prevention or control
systems.
3. Job titles or persons responsible for control of
fuel source hazards.

Housekeeping
Employer shall apprise employees of the fire hazards of the materials and
processes to which they are exposed.
Upon initial assignment, the employer shall review those parts of the fire
prevention plan which each employee must know to protect themselves in
the event of an emergency. The written plan shall be kept in the work
place and available to the employee. The plan may be communicated
orally in establishments with 10 or fewer employees.

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer

 OSHA Academy - USA
Maintenance
Equipment and systems installed on heat producing equipment shall be
maintained in order to prevent accidental ignition of combustible
materials. These procedures shall be included in the written fire
prevention plan.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wagdi F. Seffain OSHA Academy - USA Authorized Trainer