OSHA Egress Standards

OSHA defines a means of egress as a continuous and unobstructed way of exit that travels from any point in a building or structure to a public way and consists of three parts  

---

Some OSHA safety standards require signs, tags or markings to provide information on means of egress, exits, fire extinguishers, compressed gas cylinders and standpipe and hose fire-fighting equipment. 

OSHA deals with fire protection from an employee safety standpoint, and many of the points covered in the OSHA standard are solid management practices for property safety as well. Subpart E, Means of Egress, is taken from NFPA 101-1970, the Life Safety Code. The emphasis of this subpart is on protecting the employee once a fire has started. It informs the employer what to do to protect workers during the fire by addressing egress methods, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarms, emergency action plans, and fire prevention plans. 

Ladders, and temporary, movable, spiral, or articulated stairs will usually be considered a limited or restricted means of egress. Fixed industrial stairs that meet OSHA standards will be considered a limited or restricted means of egress when the conditions or physical characteristics of the space, in light of the hazards present in it, would interfere with the entrant s abihty to exit or be rescued in a hazardous situation. 

---