The ability of occupants to evacuate a structure rapidly and safely during a fire or other emergency is a crucial aspect of building design

Many lives have been lost during emergencies because exits were locked, blocked, or poorly marked

Locked or blocked exit doors

Improperly designed or marked exits

Inaccessible exits

Inadequate or nonexistent fire protection systems

Combustible interior materials contents

Overcrowded occupancies

These photos feature examples of code violations

• The exit access
• The exit
• The exit discharge

Elements

Must work together to allow occupants to safely exit from anywhere in a structure during an emergency

Active fire protection

Passive fire protection

Exit signs

Exit illumination

Door hardware

Handrails

Intervening room spaces

Doorways

Corridors

Passageways

Balconies

Ramps

Stairs

Courts

Yards

Horizontal exits

A public way is a street, alley, or similar parcel of land

Essentially open to the outside that is used by the public

A public way must also have a clear width and height of 10 feet (3 m)

An area of refuge should provide protection to those occupants who cannot evacuate a building

Can be located in an approved elevator lobby or a rated stairwell

Should be separated and resist the passage of smoke

If two-way communication is required, the inspector should verify that communication devices are present and in working order

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); 1990

Required areas of refuge in some occupancies as a way to protect people who are mobility impaired

Design must meet the requirements of the ICC/ANSI 117.1, Standard on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, from the International Code Council®/American National Standards Institute

• Leads from an occupied portion of a building or structure to the exit
• Corridor leading to the exit opening
• Aisle within an assembly occupancy that is designed to accommodate and guide people to an exit
• Common path of travel leading from inside a space to an exit
• Unenclosed ramp or stairs
• Occupied room or space

Exit access

• Protected path consisting of components constructed of approved fire-resistance-rated assemblies
• Separated from the area of the building from which escape is to be made
• Doors at ground level that lead directly to the outside of the building
• Exit passageway to the outside
• Horizontal exit
• Smokeproof enclosure

Exit

• Similar to an exit stair enclosure
• Constructed in a horizontal plane
• Designed to connect an interior exit stair or a hallway without stairs on the same level to an exit door on the structure's exterior
• Must be constructed of the same fire-resistant-rated material as the exit stairs

Exit passageways

Exit passageways

• In large-area buildings, can be used to shorten the travel distance to an exit
• Must be wide enough to accommodate the total capacity of all exits that discharge through it
• Must be calculated using the expected occupant load for that portion of the structure and not just the immediate occupant load

Commonly used in high-rise buildings and hospitals as a means of passing through a fire-barrier wall that separates two fire compartments in a structure

May be substituted for other exits if they do not compose more than 50 percent of the total exit capacity of the building

A means of egress from one building to an area of refuge in another building on approximately the same level

A means of egress through a fire barrier or fire wall to an area of refuge in the building on approximately the same level that provides protection from smoke and fire

A 1½-hour fire-rated door assembly would be installed in the fire barrier to permit movement between the two compartments

Doors must swing in the direction of exit travel, so double doors are required if the area on both sides of the wall is used as part of the means of egress

Stairways or stair enclosures designed to limit the penetration of smoke, heat, and toxic gases into the stairway

Sometimes referred to as smoke towers

Provide the highest degree of fire protection for stair enclosures that the model codes require

Pressurization or the use of ventilation can make a stair enclosure smokeproof

Occupants enter through a vestibule or outside balcony

Exterior walkway along the side of a structure from the exit to a public way

Privately owned drive or alley that connects the exit to a public way

Inspectors frequently discover that exit discharges are blocked or cluttered

Verify that doors, stairs, and walls conform to the adopted building and safety codes

Recognize and evaluate those building components that serve as components of a means of egress

Be aware of any exemptions in the means of egress requirements that are permitted in structures that are protected by automatic sprinkler systems

Doors

Walls

Ceilings

Floors

Stairs

Ramps

Panic hardware

Handrails

Guardrails

Separate occupants from the movement of fire, smoke, and other toxic gases

Serve as components of a means of egress system

Exit doors may be required to open in the direction of travel toward the primary exit, depending on occupancy and occupant load

Each door opening must be wide enough to accommodate the number of people expected to travel through the door in an emergency

• Must provide a minimum of 32 inches (800 mm) of clear unobstructed width

Width

• Refer to the NFPA® Life Safety Code® or the applicable building code

Exceptions exist

Floor on each side must be level

Door must not open over a set of stairs

Exit doors must open easily

50 or more people are in a room or occupancy

Doors that open into corridors or hallways must be placed so that the door does not obstruct more than half of the required exit width during any point in its swing

Become familiar with the operation and acceptance of different types of locking hardware

Locking hardware allows exit doors to remain locked from the outside but still permits slightly delayed or unrestricted egress at all times

Other security devices cause exit doors to remain locked until activated by fire detection, waterflow, or other alarm devices

Panic hardware

Bolt locks

Access-controlled egress

Delayed egress

Electromagnetically locked

Special locking

• Causing the latch to release by applying a force of no more than 15 pounds (66.72 N)
• Setting the door in motion by applying a force of no more than 30 pounds (133.45 N)

Occupants should be able to operate panic hardware

• Opening exit doors sometimes activates an alarm

Alarms

Used in in buildings that do not require panic hardware

Mostly, exit doors can feature deadbolt locks

Thumb-turn bolts that operate independently of the door latch are examples of unacceptable locking devices

Manually operated flush bolts or surface bolts are not permitted

A tubular deadbolt lock like this one is not acceptable

Must use a security card or enter a code to gain entrance

• A sensor on the egress side
• Loss of power to the hardware unlocks door
• Doors must be arranged to unlock from a manual unlocking device
• Activation of the building fire alarm, fire detection or automatic sprinkler system will unlock the doors

Requirements

Some entrance doors may not be allowed to be secured

• Doors unlock upon operation of automatic sprinkler system or automatic fire detection system
• Doors unlock when power is lost

Characteristics

• Minimum force requirements to operate
• Opening the door will activate an audible signal
• Doors must be labeled
• Occupants must not have to pass through more than one door equipped with delayed egress before reaching an exit

Requirements

May be used on doors in the means of egress that are not otherwise required to have panic hardware

Doors must have listed hardware that incorporates a built-in switch

Hardware is a basic system that detects a push and supplies power to the mag-lock

Card readers or punched-in codes are not needed to gain access

• Listed hardware that is affixed to the door and has an obvious method of operation
• Must be capable of being operated with one hand
• Operation of the hardware releases to the electromagnetic lock and immediately unlocks the door
• Loss of power to the hardware automatically unlocks the door

System requirements

• Health care facilities
• Drug and alcohol rehabilitation
• Mental health or memory care units

Examples

• Alarm devices, key pads, or similar staff-activated devices control exit door locks
• A loss of power in the facility allows the doors to open

Characteristics

• Usually held open by magnetic devices
• Close automatically to provide a smoke or fire barrier in a fire-barrier wall

Self-closing doors

• Openings into mechanical or electrical spaces
• Walls separating connected buildings
• Walls that separate two different occupancy use groups

Examples

Operation of locks on the egress side of the security bars must conform to the requirements for exit doors

Horizontal sliding or vertical security grilles at the main exit must be operable from the inside without the use of a key

During periods of occupancy, grilles must remain secured in the full-open position

Where two or more exits are required, no more than half of the exists can be equipped with security grilles

• Type of occupancy
• Building height
• Type of building construction
• Whether the building has an automatic sprinkler system

Fire-resistance rating

• Become familiar with the building codes that were in effect when the structure was originally built

Age of building

• May require changes in the exit-wall requirements
• Look for any concealed penetrations

Modifications

Class A (0–25 flame-spread rating) interior finishes in exits or exit-access corridors

Class B (26–75 flame-spread rating) interior finishes in exits or exit-access corridors

Class A (0–25 flame-spread rating) interior finishes in exits or exit-access corridors

Class B (26–75 flame-spread rating) interior finishes in exits or exit-access corridors

Walls may extend to the bottom of the roof deck or floor above, or to the ceiling of the exit

Ceilings may conceal wiring and HVAC ductwork, or act as a return-air plenum

A ceiling that is part of a means of egress must have the same fire-resistance rating as the walls

Floor coverings must meet flame- and smoke-generation tests for the given means of egress

Must be installed according to the locally adopted code

Unapproved materials are often used during remodeling; pay particular attention to these areas

• Fire-resistance rating of the enclosure
• Separation when exterior stairs are utilized

Requirements

Other requirements also increase safety during both emergency and nonemergency use

• Exit stairs are critical components of the means of egress

Multistoried buildings

Stair treads must be solid and slip resistant

Landings must be provided so that no flights of stairs are greater than 12 feet (3.5 m) high

Handrails may be required for both sides of the stairs

Stairs that are exceptionally wide may be required to have intermediate handrails in the middle of the stairs

Stair treads and risers must be in good condition to prevent tripping

• Construction that encloses the exit must have at least a 1-hour minimum fire-resistance rating
• Minimum applies whether the stories connected are above or below the story at which the exit discharge begins

Three stories or fewer

• Separating construction must have a fire-resistance rating of at least two hours
• There are some exceptions; consult the locally adopted code

Four or more stories

The stairway door must be rated properly, depending on the height of the building

The only permissible openings in exit stairs are those that allow people to enter the stairs from inside the building and those that empty to the exit discharge

Open stairs used as part of the means of egress are only allowed in buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system

These areas must remain clear so that egress is not impaired

Inspectors should verify that exit stairways are not used for any purposes other than as a means of egress

Became common in many occupancies in the U.S. with the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

Each model code addresses the requirements in a similar manner

Fire-resistance-rated construction must enclose and protect exterior ramps

Exterior ramps must offer the same degree of protection as exterior stairs

Consult the provisions of the locally adopted code and amendments

• May not be used as any part of a means of egress in new construction
• On existing buildings, they may constitute only half of the required means of egress

External fire escape stairs

• Poorly maintained and rusted through
• Not properly secured to the wall
• Snow-covered or icy
• Exposed to high winds
• Cluttered with garbage and other debris
• Inaccessible due to locked or secured access windows and doors

Inspection concerns

• To avoid trapping occupants, fire escape stairs must be exposed to the smallest number of door or window openings as possible
• Each of the model codes provides detailed guidelines for the protection of openings that expose fire escape stairs

Occupant safety

• May be used as access to fire escapes in existing buildings if they meet certain criteria
• When used for this purpose, they must open with a minimum of effort, or, in some cases, open outward in a manner that does not obstruct the exit path

Windows

Access to fire escape stairs must be directly from a balcony, landing, or platform

Fire escape ladders are only allowed for limited purposes if approved by the AHJ

Fire escape slides, also called slidescapes, may be used as a means of egress where they are authorized

Fire escapes must be of an approved type and rated at one exit unit per slide with a rated capacity of 60 persons

When codes require exit illumination, the illumination must be continuous during periods of occupancy

If a single lighting unit such as a bulb fails, the other lights must continue to function so the area is not left in darkness

Battery-operated units may not be used for primary exit illumination but instead as backup supplies

• Provides illumination when normal power is lost
• Required in certain occupancies

Design and requirements

• Must provide the proper amount of illumination for 90 minutes
• Floors must be illuminated at no less than 1 foot-candle (10 lux) at floor level
• A reduction of 0.2 foot-candle (2 lux) is permitted in auditoriums, theaters, concert or opera halls, and other places of assembly during performances

Batteries or an auxiliary power system

They are required in most occupancies

Illuminated exit signs must be positioned so that no point in the exit access is more than 100 feet (30 m) from the nearest visible sign

Letters on exit signs must be at least 6 inches (150 mm) high and the principal strokes of the letters at least ¾-inch (19 mm) wide

Wired exit signs must have an auxiliary power source — usually an internal battery – or a separate electrical circuit powered by an auxiliary power supply such as a generator

Have become popular in some jurisdictions and are required in some occupancy classifications

Placed to allow occupants to identify the location of an exit as they crawl along a floor

Floor-level signs are used in addition to standard ceiling-level signs; they are not a substitute

NFPA® Life Safety Code® and other model codes include location specifics

Requirements for illumination and character size are the same as for other exit signs

Can originate from batteries, generator

• Used to power emergency lighting and exit signs
• Connected to the building’s electrical system by a switchover device
• Natural gas, LPG, or diesel fuel may be used

Generator

• Codes require a monthly and annual test of the system
• Review the documentation to verify that these tests have been conducted as specified

Test procedures

Codes provide an accepted way to determine how many people can safely exit a structure during an emergency

Means of egress cannot function effectively when the total occupant load has been exceeded

Defined as the total number of persons for which the means of egress of a building or portion thereof is designed

Occupant load is established during the plans review process

A design professional typically calculates the proposed occupant load

Plans examiner verifies the calculations

All inspectors should be familiar with the methods for completing these calculations

In particular, they must be able to verify a new occupant load when a structure changes occupancy classification

Verify that the occupant load for a given location is still correct and posted

Any increase in occupant load must be supported by building design; verification that the means of egress is sufficient

Because each occupancy classification is different, any change in occupancy may also change exit requirements

Minimum width of each means of egress

Capacity of each individual means of egress

Total capacity of all means of egress

Number of exits required

Maximum travel distance to an exit

Each code assigns an occupant load factor per person based on the function of the space

Maximum floor area allowed per person stated in square feet (m²)

Occupant Load = Net Floor Area ÷ Area per Person (Factor)

• Refers to the entire square footage (m²) of a space measured wall to wall with no deductions for desks, files, movable partitions, or other items

Gross

• Refers to the gross square footage (m²) minus any space taken up by equipment, furniture, corridors, or other space that is not used for the occupancy

Net