Exit Routes

A workplace must normally have at least two exit routes so employees and other occupants can evacuate promptly during an emergency. In some cases, more than two exits may be required, while certain workplaces may be permitted to have only one exit route.

Additional requirements include:

• More than two exit routes are required if the:

  • Number of employees,
  • Size of the building, or
  • Arrangement of the workplace

  would not allow employees to evacuate safely.

• Exit routes must be located as far apart as practical so that if one is blocked by fire or smoke, another remains available.

Exception: A workplace may have one exit route if the number of employees, the size of the building, its occupancy, and the workplace arrangement allow all employees to evacuate safely during an emergency.

No. OSHA does not require floor markings to indicate exits or ways of exit access. However, floor markings can help keep exit routes clear and support safe evacuation practices.

Additional details:

• OSHA's exit marking requirements are found in 1910.37(b).
• 1910.37(a)(3) requires exit routes to remain free and unobstructed.
• Floor markings may be used to help prevent clutter from blocking exits.
• The ANSI Z535.1-1998 Safety Color Code recommends:
  • Green for evacuation routes
  • Black, white, yellow, or a black-and-yellow combination for housekeeping markings
• ANSI Z535.1-2002 and later editions no longer include the safety color meanings that appeared in the 1998 and earlier editions.

No. OSHA does not require employers to post evacuation maps or exit route maps. However, OSHA guidance recommends including floor plans or workplace maps showing emergency escape routes as part of an emergency action plan.

• OSHA has specific requirements for marking exits and exit routes in 29 CFR 1910 Subpart E, but it does not require posted evacuation maps.
• OSHA CPL 02-01-037 states that floor plans or workplace maps clearly showing emergency escape routes should be included in the emergency action plan.
• The same recommendation appears in the non-mandatory appendix to Subpart E, "Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans, and Fire Prevention Plans."
• Although maps are not specifically required, many employers post them to help meet 1910.38(c)(2), which requires written emergency evacuation procedures, including:
  • Type of evacuation
  • Exit route assignments

Other considerations:

• Local building and fire codes may determine whether maps must be posted and where they should be located.
• Employers should consult local fire authorities.
• A company's liability insurance carrier may also have requirements regarding the posting of maps.

Exits must meet fire-resistance and opening protection requirements designed to help protect evacuation routes during an emergency. The required level of fire resistance depends on how many stories the exit serves.

Requirements include:

• Exits must be separated by fire-resistant materials with:

  • A one-hour fire-resistance rating when the exit connects three or fewer stories
  • A two-hour fire-resistance rating when the exit connects more than three stories

• Exits may contain only the openings necessary to provide:

  • Access to the exit from occupied areas of the workplace, or
  • Access to the exit discharge

• Required openings must be protected by a:

  • Self-closing,
  • Approved fire door

  that remains closed or closes automatically during an emergency.