[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1910.36]

[Page 148-149]
 
                             TITLE 29--LABOR

 
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 

                                OF LABOR

 
PART 1910_OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS--Table of Contents

 
                        Subpart E_Means of Egress

 
Sec. 1910.36  Design and construction requirements for exit routes.


    (a) Basic requirements. Exit routes must meet the following design 

and construction requirements:

    (1) An exit route must be permanent. Each exit route must be a 

permanent part of the workplace.

    (2) An exit must be separated by fire resistant materials. 

Construction materials used to separate an exit from other parts of the 

workplace must have a one-hour fire resistance-rating if the exit 

connects three or fewer stories and a two-hour fire resistance-rating if 

the exit connects four or more stories.

    (3) Openings into an exit must be limited. An exit is permitted to 

have only those openings necessary to allow access to the exit from 

occupied areas of the workplace, or to the exit discharge. An opening 

into an exit must be protected by a self-closing fire door that remains 

closed or automatically closes in an emergency upon the sounding of a 

fire alarm or employee alarm system. Each fire door, including its frame 

and hardware, must be listed or approved by a nationally recognized 

testing laboratory. Section 1910.155(c)(3)(iv)(A) of this part defines 

``listed'' and Sec. 1910.7 of this part defines a ``nationally 

recognized testing laboratory.''

    (b) The number of exit routes must be adequate--(1) Two exit routes. 

At least two exit routes must be available in a workplace to permit 

prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an 

emergency, except as allowed in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. The 

exit routes must be located as far away as practical from each other so 

that if one exit route is blocked by fire or smoke, employees can 

evacuate using the second exit route.

    (2) More than two exit routes. More than two exit routes must be 

available in a workplace if the number of employees, the size of the 

building, its occupancy, or the arrangement of the workplace is such 

that all employees would not be able to evacuate safely during an 

emergency.

    (3) A single exit route. A single exit route is permitted where the 

number of employees, the size of the building, its occupancy, or the 

arrangement of the workplace is such that all employees would be able to 

evacuate safely during an emergency.



    Note to paragraph 1910.36(b): For assistance in determining the 

number of exit routes necessary for your workplace, consult NFPA 101-

2000, Life Safety Code.



    (c) Exit discharge. (1) Each exit discharge must lead directly 

outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space 

with access to the outside.

    (2) The street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space to 

which an exit discharge leads must be large enough to accommodate the 

building occupants likely to use the exit route.

    (3) Exit stairs that continue beyond the level on which the exit 

discharge is located must be interrupted at that level by doors, 

partitions, or other effective means that clearly indicate the direction 

of travel leading to the exit discharge.

    (d) An exit door must be unlocked. (1) Employees must be able to 

open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, 

tools, or special knowledge. A device such as a panic bar that locks 

only from the outside is permitted on exit discharge doors.

    (2) Exit route doors must be free of any device or alarm that could 

restrict emergency use of the exit route if the device or alarm fails.

    (3) An exit route door may be locked from the inside only in mental, 

penal, or correctional facilities and then only if supervisory personnel 

are continuously on duty and the employer has a plan to remove occupants 

from the facility during an emergency.

    (e) A side-hinged exit door must be used. (1) A side-hinged door 

must be



[[Page 149]]



used to connect any room to an exit route.

    (2) The door that connects any room to an exit route must swing out 

in the direction of exit travel if the room is designed to be occupied 

by more than 50 people or if the room is a high hazard area (i.e., 

contains contents that are likely to burn with extreme rapidity or 

explode).

    (f) The capacity of an exit route must be adequate. (1) Exit routes 

must support the maximum permitted occupant load for each floor served.

    (2) The capacity of an exit route may not decrease in the direction 

of exit route travel to the exit discharge.



    Note to paragraph 1910.36(f): Information regarding ``Occupant 

load'' is located in NFPA 101-2000, Life Safety Code.



    (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 or exit 

discharge, the width of the exit and exit discharge must be at least 

equal to the width of the exit access.

    (3) The width of an exit route must be sufficient to accommodate the 

maximum permitted occupant load of each floor served by the exit route.

    (4) Objects that project into the exit route must not reduce the 

width of the exit route to less than the minimum width requirements for 

exit routes.

    (h) An outdoor exit route is permitted. 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, unless the employer can demonstrate that 

any snow or ice accumulation will be removed before it presents a 

slipping hazard;

    (3) The outdoor exit route must be reasonably straight and have 

smooth, solid, substantially level walkways; and

    (4) The outdoor exit route must not have a dead-end that is longer 

than 20 feet (6.2 m).



[67 FR 67961, Nov. 7, 2002]