Emergency Exit Routes - Occupational Safety and Health Administration
rooms to exit routes. These doors must swing out in the direction of exit travel if the room is to be occupied by more than 50 people or if the room is a high-hazard area. • Exit routes must support the maximum permitted occupant load for each floor served, and the capacity of an exit route may not decrease in the direction of exit route ...
1910.37 - Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Each exit route door must be free of decorations or signs that obscure the visibility of the exit route door. 1910.37(b)(4) If the direction of travel to the exit or exit discharge is not immediately apparent, signs must be posted along the exit access indicating the direction of travel to the nearest exit and exit discharge.
Rules for Exit Routes – OSHA Standards 1910.36 and 1910.37
An exit route might seem like one of the simplest parts of a workplace. Just look for the exit sign and head for the door, right? In theory that may be true, but technically speaking, exit routes must have specific features and meet detailed OSHA requirements. OSHA has begun focusing more attention on emergency exit route compliance in recent years, as seen in a memo to the agency’s personnel.
29 CFR 1910.36 -- Design and construction requirements for exit routes.
(2) The capacity of an exit route may not decrease in the direction of exit route travel to the exit discharge. Note to paragraph ( f ) of this section: Information regarding the “Occupant load” is located in NFPA 101-2009, Life Safety Code, and in IFC-2009, International Fire Code (incorporated by reference, see § 1910.6 ).
Back to Basics: Emergency Exits and Keeping the Way Out Clear
OSHA’s standards for exit routes and exit doors are unambiguous, and the agency vigorously enforces its rules. What OSHA regulations require. You can find OSHA’s general industry exit route and exit door regulations in 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §§1910.34, 1910.35, 1910.36, and 1910.37.
OSHA requirements for workplaces exit routes - stpub.com
The Exit Routes Standard defines three important elements of these exit routes -- exit access, exit, and exit discharge – and provides technical standards for their construction and maintenance. OSHA defines these terms as follows: Exit access means that portion of an exit route that leads to an exit. An example of an exit access is a ...
29 CFR § 1910.36 - Design and construction requirements for exit routes.
(g) An exit route must meet minimum height and width requirements. (1) 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. (2) 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 ...
OSHA Emergency Exit Clearance Requirements: Full Guide (2025)
Size wise, emergency exit clearance needs to be at least 28 inches wide, with ceilings that are at least 7 feet and 6 inches high. This is to prevent “clogging” during an egress by allowing the average human body plenty of room in which to move. The exit door also needs to be side-hinged and should swing outwards in the direction of travel ...
eTool : Evacuation Plans and Procedures - Occupational Safety and ...
This section contains requirements for the design and construction of exit routes. It includes a requirement that exit routes be permanent, addresses fire resistance-ratings of construction materials used in exit stairways (exits), describes openings into exits, defines the minimum number of exit routes in workplaces, addresses exit discharges, and discusses locked exit route doors, and exit ...
Understanding OSHA Exit Route Requirements - Building Maps
Adequate lighting for exit routes must be provided. All exits should be properly labeled as “EXIT” in plainly legible lettering. Exit doors must be free of decorations, posters, or other flammable furnishings. For more information on OSHA emergency exit route requirements, read this OSHA fact sheet.
OSHA 1910.37: Exit Routes, Evacuations & Emergency Planning ...
OSHA 1910.37 is a critical standard that outlines the requirements for exit routes so that employees can escape facilities in the event of a fire, chemical spill or natural disaster. As with many OSHA standards, the overall goal of 1910.37 is to minimize the risk of injury or death. ... Section D of OSHA 1910.37 mandates that exit routes remain ...
OSHA exit door requirements | SeeChange
OSHA defines the parts of an exit route to be the following: The exit access – the part of an exit route leading to an exit; The exit – the part of the exit route which provides a protected way to travel to the exit discharge; The exit discharge – the part of the exit route which leads outside the building to a street, walkway or other ...
Are you meeting OSHA’s exit route requirements?
It may seem obvious that exit routes must be clearly visible, unobstructed, and that directional signs be posted. However, these are the top three violations of OSHA’s standard at 1910.37, Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes.Last year, OSHA slapped a national retail chain with nearly $800,000 in penalties for hazards in part related to obstructed exits and fire ...
OSHA 1910.37: Exit Routes, Evacuations, and Emergency Planning | Emedco
What requirements must exit routes meet? OSHA 1910.37 is a critical standard that outlines the requirements for exit routes so that employees can escape facilities in the event of a fire, chemical spill or natural disaster. As with many OSHA standards, the overall goal of 1910.37 is to minimize the risk of injury or death.
29 CFR § 1910.36 Design and construction requirements for exit routes ...
Each outdoor exit route must meet the minimum height and width requirements for indoor exit routes and must also meet the following requirements: (1) The outdoor exit route must have guardrails to protect unenclosed sides if a fall hazard exists; (2) The outdoor exit route must be covered if snow or ice is likely to accumulate along the route ...
What 5 Requirements Must Exit Routes Meet? - irwinsafety.com
Here are the five key requirements that every exit route must meet: 1. Adequate Width and Height. An exit route must be large enough to accommodate the maximum number of people who may use it in an emergency. Minimum Width: Exit routes must be at least 28 inches wide at all points. In some cases, wider routes may be necessary based on the ...
1910.34 - Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Sections 1910.34 through 1910.39 also cover the minimum requirements for emergency action plans and fire prevention plans. ... discharge is a door at the bottom of a two-hour fire resistance-rated enclosed stairway that discharges to a place of safety outside the building. Exit route means a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from ...
Exit Routes (Means of Egress) | Occupational Safety and Health ...
OSHA has grouped the requirements around three common themes: (1) design and construction requirements for exit routes; (2) operation and maintenance requirements for exit routes; and (3) requirements for warning employees of the need to escape. For example, the design requirements for exit routes formerly were scattered both in 1910.36 and ...
Essential Exit Route Requirements for Workplace Safety Compliance
Discover the essential requirements for exit routes in the workplace, focusing on clearances, obstructions, and safety standards. Learn the importance of maintaining minimum widths, adequate lighting, clear signage, and the role of emergency exit doors to ensure employee safety. ... unless in specific circumstances as permitted by OSHA ...