How would you escape from your workplace ■ Exit discharges must lead directly outside or to

in an emergency? Do you know where all the a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or
exits are in case your first choice is too crowded? open space with access to the outside. These
Are you sure the doors will be unlocked and that exit discharge areas must be large enough to
the exit access, such as a hallway, will not be accommodate the building occupants likely to
blocked during a fire, explosion, or other crisis? use the exit route.
Knowing the answers to these questions could
keep you safe during an emergency. ■ Exit stairs that continue beyond the level on
which the exit discharge is located must be
interrupted at that level by doors, partitions, or
What is an exit route? other effective means that clearly indicate the
An exit route is a continuous and unobstructed direction of travel leading to the exit discharge.
path of exit travel from any point within a ■ Exit route doors must be unlocked from the
workplace to a place of safety. An exit route
inside. They must be free of devices or alarms
consists of three parts:
that could restrict use of the exit route if the
■ Exit access – portion of an exit route that leads
device or alarm fails.
to an exit.
■ Side-hinged exit doors must be used to
■ Exit – portion of an exit route that is generally
connect rooms to exit routes. These doors
separated from other areas to provide a must swing out in the direction of exit travel if
protected way of travel to the exit discharge. the room is to be occupied by more than 50
■ Exit discharge – part of the exit route that people or if the room is a high-hazard area.
leads directly outside or to a street, walkway,
refuge area, public way, or open space with ■ Exit routes must support the maximum
access to the outside. permitted occupant load for each floor served,
and the capacity of an exit route may not
decrease in the direction of exit route travel to
How many exit routes must a the exit discharge.
workplace have?
■ Ceilings of exit routes must be at least 7 feet,
Normally, a workplace must have at least two 6 inches high.
exit routes to permit prompt evacuation of
employees and other building occupants during ■ An exit access must be at least 28 inches wide
an emergency. More than two exits are required, at all points. Where there is only one exit
however, if the number of employees, size of the access leading to an exit or exit discharge, the
building, or arrangement of the workplace will width of the exit and exit discharge must be at
not allow employees to evacuate safely. Exit least equal to the width of the exit access.
routes must be located as far away as practical Objects that project into the exit must not
from each other in case one is blocked by fire or reduce its width.
smoke. ■ Outdoor exit routes are permitted but must
Exception: If the number of employees, the meet the minimum height and width
size of the building, its occupancy, or the requirement for indoor exit routes and must
arrangement of the workplace allows all – have guardrails to protect unenclosed sides
employees to evacuate safely during an if a fall hazard exists;
emergency, one exit route is permitted. – be covered if snow or ice is likely to
accumulate, unless the employer can
What are some other design and demonstrate accumulations will be removed
construction requirements for exit before a slipping hazard exists;
routes? – be reasonably straight and have smooth,
solid, substantially level walkways; and
■ Exit routes must be permanent parts of the
workplace. – not have a dead-end longer than 20 feet.
What are the requirements for exits? Are employers required to have
emergency action plans?
■ Exits must be separated by fire resistant
materials—that is, one-hour fire-resistance If you have 10 or fewer employees, you may
rating if the exit connects three or fewer stories communicate your plan orally. If you have more
and two-hour fire-resistance rating if the exit than 10 employees, however, your plan must be
connects more than three floors. written, kept in the workplace, and available for
employee review. Although employers are
■ Exits are permitted to have only those required to have an emergency action plan
openings necessary to allow access to the exit (EAP) only when the applicable OSHA standard
from occupied areas of the workplace or to the requires it, OSHA strongly recommends that all
exit discharge. Openings must be protected by employers have an EAP. Here are the OSHA
a self-closing, approved fire door that remains standards that require EAP’s:
closed or automatically closes in an emergency.
■ Process Safety Management of Highly
What are the maintenance, Hazardous Chemicals - 1910.119
safeguarding, and operational ■ Fixed Extinguishing Systems, General -
features for exit routes? 1910.160
OSHA standards require employers to do the ■ Fire Detection Systems, 1910.164
following:
■ Keep exit routes free of explosive or highly
■ Grain Handling - 1910.272
flammable furnishings and other decorations. ■ Ethylene Oxide - 1910.1047
■ Arrange exit routes so employees will not have
■ Methylenedianiline - 1910.1050
to travel toward a high-hazard area unless the
path of travel is effectively shielded from the ■ 1,3-Butadiene - 1910.1051
high-hazard area.
■ Ensure that exit routes are unobstructed such What are the minimum elements of
as by materials, equipment, locked doors, or an emergency action plan?
dead-end corridors.
■ Ensure that safeguards designed to protect
■ Procedures for reporting fires and other
employees during an emergency remain in emergencies.
good working order. ■ Procedures for emergency evacuation,
■ Provide lighting for exit routes adequate for including the type of evacuation and exit route
employees with normal vision. assignments.
■ Keep exit route doors free of decorations or ■ Procedures for employees who stay behind to
signs that obscure the visibility of exit route continue critical plant operations.
doors.
■ Post signs along the exit access indicating the
■ Procedures to account for all employees after
evacuation.
direction of travel to the nearest exit and exit
discharge if that direction is not immediately ■ Procedures for employees performing rescue
apparent. Also, the line-of-sight to an exit sign or medical duties.
must be clearly visible at all times.
■ Mark doors or passages along an exit access
■ Name or job title of employees to contact for
detailed plan information.
that could be mistaken for an exit “Not an
Exit” or with a sign identifying its use (such as ■ Alarm system to alert workers.
“Closet”).
In addition, you must designate and train
■ Install “EXIT” signs in plainly legible letters.
employees to assist in a safe and orderly
■ Renew fire-retardant paints or solutions often evacuation of other employees. You must also
enough to maintain their fire-retardant review the emergency action plan with each
properties. employee covered when the following occur:
■ Maintain exit routes during construction, ■ Plan is developed or an employee is assigned
repairs, or alterations. initially to a job.
■ Provide an emergency alarm system to alert ■ Employee’s responsibilities under the plan
employees, unless employees can promptly
see or smell a fire or other hazard in time to changes.
provide adequate warning to them. ■ Plan is changed.
Must all employers have fire How can I get more information on
prevention plans? safety and health?
If you have 10 or fewer employees, you may For more detail on exit routes and related
communicate your plan orally. If you have more standards see Exit Routes, Emergency Action
than 10 employees, however, your plan must be Plans, and Fire Prevention Plans in Title 29 of
written, kept in the workplace, and available for the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
employee review. Although employers are only 1910.33-39; and OSHA Directive CPL 2-1.037,
required to have a fire prevention plan (FPP) Compliance Policy for Emergency Action Plans
when the applicable OSHA standard requires it, and Fire Prevention Plans. In addition, employers
OSHA strongly recommends that all employers who comply with the exit route provisions of the
have a fire prevention plan (FPP). The following National Fire Protection Association’s 101-2000,
OSHA standards require FPPs: Life Safety Code, will be considered in
compliance with the OSHA requirements for exit
■ Ethylene Oxide, 1910.1047 routes.
■ Methylenedianiline - 1910.1050 OSHA has various publications, standards,
■ 1,3-Butadiene - 1910.1051 technical assistance, and compliance tools to help
you, and offers extensive assistance through
workplace consultation, voluntary protection
Here are the minimum provisions of a programs, strategic partnerships, alliances, state
fire prevention plan: plans, grants, training, and education. OSHA’s
Safety and Health Program Management
■ List of all major fire hazards, proper handling Guidelines (54 Federal Register 3904-3916,
and storage procedures for hazardous 1/26/89) detail elements critical to the
materials, potential ignition sources and their development of a successful safety and health
control, and the type of fire protection management system. This and other information
equipment necessary to control each major are available on OSHA’s website.
hazard.
■ For one free copy of OSHA publications, send a
■ Procedures to control accumulations of self-addressed mailing label to OSHA
flammable and combustible waste materials. Publications Office, 200 Constitution Avenue
N.W., N-3101, Washington, DC 20210; or
■ Procedures for regular maintenance of
send a request to our fax at (202) 693-2498,
safeguards installed on heat-producing or call us toll-free at (800) 321-OSHA.
equipment to prevent the accidental ignition of
■ To order OSHA publications online at
combustible materials.
www.osha.gov, go to Publications and follow
■ Name or job title of employees responsible for the instructions for ordering.
maintaining equipment to prevent or control ■ To file a complaint by phone, report an
sources of ignition or fires.
emergency, or get OSHA advice, assistance, or
■ Name or job title of employees responsible for products, contact your nearest OSHA office
the control of fuel source hazards. under the U.S. Department of Labor listing in
your phone book, or call toll-free at (800)
In addition, when you assign employees to a 321-OSHA (6742). The teletypewriter (TTY)
job, you must inform them of any fire hazards number is (877) 889-5627.
they may be exposed to. You must also review
■ To file a complaint online or obtain more
with each employee those parts of the fire
prevention plan necessary for self-protection. information on OSHA federal and state
programs, visit OSHA’s website.

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies, or standards. It does not impose
any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations,
refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals
upon request. The voice phone is (202) 693-1999. See also OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov.

2003