OSHA Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR) Means of egress, general. - 1910.37 ![]()
(a) "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. (b) "Protective enclosure of exits." When an exit is protected by separation from other parts of the building the separating construction shall meet the following requirements. (b)(1) The separation shall have at least a 1-hour fire resistance rating when the exit connects three stories or less. This applies whether the stories connected are above or below the story at which exit discharge begins. (b)(2) The separation shall have at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating when the exit connects four or more stories, whether above or below the floor of discharge. It shall be constructed of noncombustible materials, and shall be supported by construction having at least a 2-hour fire resistance rating. (b)(3) Any opening therein shall be protected by an approved self-closing fire door. (b)(4) Openings in exit enclosures shall be confined to those necessary for access to the enclosure from normally occupied spaces and for egress from the enclosure. (c) "Width and capacity of means of egress." (c)(1) The capacity in number of persons per unit of exit width for approved components of means of egress shall be as follows: (c)(1)(i) Level Egress Components (including Class A Ramps) 100 persons. (c)(1)(ii) Inclined Egress Components (including Class B Ramps) 60 persons. (c)(1)(iii) A ramp shall be designated as Class A or Class B in accordance with the following Table E-1: TABLE E-1 ___________________________________________________________________ | | | Class A | Class B ____________________|________________________|_____________________ | | Width...............| 44 inches and greater. | 30 to 44 inches. Slope...............| 1 to 1 3/16 inches in | 1 3/16 to 2 inches | 12 inches. | in 12 inches. Maximum height | No limit...............| 12 feet. between landings. | | ____________________|________________________|_____________________ (c)(2) Means of egress shall be measured in units of exit width of 22 inches. Fractions of a unit shall not be counted, except that 12 inches added to one or more full units shall be counted as one-half a unit of exit width. (c)(3) Units of exit width shall be measured in the clear at the narrowest point of the means of egress except that a handrail may project inside the measured width on each side not more than 5 inches and a stringer may project inside the measured width not more than 1 1/2 inches. An exit or exit access door swinging into an aisle or passageway shall not restrict the effective width thereof at any point during its swing to less than the minimum widths hereafter specified. (d) "Egress capacity and occupant load." (d)(1) The capacity of means of egress for any floor, balcony, tier, or other occupied space shall be sufficient for the occupant load thereof. The occupant load shall be the maximum number of persons that may be in the space at any time. (d)(2) Where exits serve more than one floor, only the occupant load of each floor considered individually need be used in computing the capacity of the exits at that floor, provided that exit capacity shall not be decreased in the direction of exit travel. (e) "Arrangement of exits." When more than one exit is required from a story, at least two of the exits shall be remote from each other and so arranged as to minimize any possibility that both may be blocked by any one fire or other emergency condition. (f) "Access to exits." (f)(1) Exits shall be so located and exit access shall be so arranged that exits are readily accessible at all times. Where exits are not immediately accessible from an open floor area, safe and continuous passageways, aisles, or corridors leading directly to every exit and so arranged as to provide convenient access for each occupant to at least two exits by separate ways of travel, except as a single exit or limited dead ends are permitted by other provisions of this subpart, shall be maintained. (f)(2) A door from a room to an exit or to a way of exit access shall be of the side-hinged, swinging type. It shall swing with exit travel when the room is occupied by more than 50 persons or used for a high hazard occupancy. (f)(3) In no case shall access to an exit be through a bathroom, or other room subject to locking, except where the exit is required to serve only the room subject to locking. (f)(4) Ways of exit access and the doors to exits to which they lead shall be so designed and arranged as to be clearly recognizable as such. Hangings or draperies shall not be placed over exit doors or otherwise so located as to conceal or obscure any exit. Mirrors shall not be placed on exit doors. Mirrors shall not be placed in or adjacent to any exit in such a manner as to confuse the direction of exit. (f)(5) Exit access shall be so arranged that it will not be necessary to travel toward any area of high hazard occupancy in order to reach the nearest exit, unless the path of travel is effectively shielded from the high hazard location by suitable partitions or other physical barriers. (f)(6) The minimum width of any way of exit access shall in no case be less than 28 inches. Where a single way of exit access leads to an exit, its capacity in terms of width shall be at least equal to the required capacity of the exit to which it leads. Where more than one way of exit access leads to an exit, each shall have a width adequate for the number of persons it must accommodate. (g) "Exterior ways of exit access." (g)(1) Access to an exit may be by means of any exterior balcony, porch, gallery, or roof that conforms to the requirements of this section. (g)(2) Exterior ways of exit access shall have smooth, solid floors, substantially level, and shall have guards on the unenclosed sides. (g)(3) Where accumulation of snow or ice is likely because of the climate, the exterior way of exit access shall be protected by a roof, unless it serves as the sole normal means of access to the rooms or spaces served, in which case it may be assumed that snow and ice will be regularly removed in the course of normal occupancy. (g)(4) A permanent, reasonably straight path of travel shall be maintained over the required exterior way of exit access. There shall be no obstruction by railings, barriers, or gates that divide the open space into sections appurtenant to individual rooms, apartments, or other uses. Where the Assistant Secretary of Labor or his duly authorized representative finds the required path of travel to be obstructed by furniture or other movable objects, he may require that they be fastened out of the way or he may require that railings or other permanent barriers be installed to protect the path of travel against encroachment. (g)(5) An exterior way of exit access shall be so arranged that there are no dead ends in excess of 20 feet. Any unenclosed exit served by an exterior way of exit access shall be so located that no part of the exit extends past a vertical plane 20 feet and one-half the required width of the exit from the end of and at right angles to the way of exit access. (g)(6) Any gallery, balcony, bridge, porch, or other exterior exit access that projects beyond the outside wall of the building shall comply with the requirements of this section as to width and arrangement. (h) "Discharge from exits." (h)(1) All exits shall discharge directly to the street, or to a yard, court, or other open space that gives safe access to a public way. The streets to which the exits discharge shall be of width adequate to accommodate all persons leaving the building. Yards, courts, or other open spaces to which exits discharge shall also be of adequate width and size to provide all persons leaving the building with ready access to the street. (h)(2) 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. (i) "Headroom." Means of egress shall be so designed and maintained as to provide adequate headroom, but in no case shall the ceiling height be less than 7 feet 6 inches nor any projection from the ceiling be less than 6 feet 8 inches from the floor. (j) "Changes in elevation." Where a means of egress is not substantially level, such differences in elevation shall be negotiated by stairs or ramps. (k) "Maintenance and workmanship." (k)(1) Doors, stairs, ramps, passages, signs, and all other components of means of egress shall be of substantial, reliable construction and shall be built or installed in a workmanlike manner. (k)(2) Means of egress shall be continuously maintained free of all obstructions or impediments to full instant use in the case of fire or other emergency. (k)(3) Any device or alarm installed to restrict the improper use of an exit shall be so designed and installed that it cannot, even in cases of failure, impede or prevent emergency use of such exit. (l) "Furnishings and decorations." (l)(1) No furnishings, decorations, or other objects shall be so placed as to obstruct exits, access thereto, egress therefrom, or visibility thereof. (l)(2) No furnishings or decorations of an explosive or highly flammable character shall be used in any occupancy. (m) "Automatic sprinkler systems." All automatic sprinkler systems shall be continuously maintained in reliable operating condition at all times, and such periodic inspections and tests shall be made as are necessary to assure proper maintenance. (n) "Fire alarm signaling systems." The employer shall assure that fire alarm signaling systems are maintained and tested in accordance with the requirements of 1910.165(d). (o) "Fire retardant paints." Fire retardant paints or solutions shall be renewed at such intervals as necessary to maintain the necessary flame retardant properties. (p) [Reserved] (q) "Exit marking." (q)(1) Exits shall be marked by a readily visible sign. Access to exits shall be marked by readily visible signs in all cases where the exit or way to reach it is not immediately visible to the occupants. (q)(2) Any door, passage, or stairway which is neither an exit nor a way of exit access, and which is so located or arranged as to be likely to be mistaken for an exit, shall be identified by a sign reading "Not an Exit" or similar designation, or shall be identified by a sign indicating its actual character, such as "To Basement," "Storeroom," "Linen Closet," or the like. (q)(3) Every required sign designating an exit or way of exit access shall be so located and of such size, color, and design as to be readily visible. No decorations, furnishings, or equipment which impair visibility of an exit sign shall be permitted, nor shall there be any brightly illuminated sign (for other than exit purposes), display, or object in or near the line of vision to the required exit sign of such a character as to so detract attention from the exit sign that it may not be noticed. (q)(4) Every exit sign shall be distinctive in color and shall provide contrast with decorations, interior finish, or other signs. (q)(5) A sign reading "Exit", or similar designation, with an arrow indicating the directions, shall be placed in every location where the direction of travel to reach the nearest exit is not immediately apparent. (q)(6) Every exit sign shall be suitably illuminated by a reliable light source giving a value of not less than 5 foot-candles on the illuminated surface. Artificial lights giving illumination to exit signs other than the internally illuminated types shall have screens, discs, or lenses of not less than 25 square inches area made of translucent material to show red or other specified designating color on the side of the approach. (q)(7) Each internally illuminated exit sign shall be provided in all occupancies where reduction of normal illumination is permitted. (q)(8) Every exit sign shall have the word "Exit" in plainly legible letters not less than 6 inches high, with the principal strokes of letters not less than three-fourths-inch wide. [39 FR 23502, June 27, 1974, as amended at 45 FR 60703, Sept. 12, 1980] ![]() |