Means of Egress

and Fire Protection

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 Introduction
• Fires and explosions kill more than 200 and injure
more than 5,000 workers each year
• There is a long and tragic history of workplace
fires in this country caused by problems with fire
exits and extinguishing systems
• OSHA requires employers to provide proper exits,
fire fighting equipment, and employee training to
prevent fire deaths and injuries in the workplace

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 Escape Route
• A continuous and unobstructed
way of exit travel from any
point in a building or structure
to a public way (a street, yard,
court or other open space
leading to the street)
• Three parts to an escape route:
➢ the way of exit access;
➢ the exit; and
➢ the way of exit discharge.

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 Escape Routes
General Requirements
• Fire alarms are required if a fire
could start without providing
adequate warning to occupants
• There must be enough exits in the
proper arrangement for quick escape
• Adequate and reliable illumination
must be provided for all exit facilities
• Escape Routes:
➢ Minimum width = 28 inches
➢ Minimum ceiling height = 7-½ feet

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 Locking Exits
Must not install any lock or fastening that impedes
or prevents escape from the inside of any building.

Locked and
blocked exit

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 Access to Exits

• Exits must be readily accessible at

all times
• A door from a room to an exit or
escape route must be a side-hinged
swinging type, and swing in the
direction of exit travel when the
room is occupied by more than 50
people or contains high hazard
contents

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Maintaining Escape Routes
Escape routes from all parts of the building
must be continuously maintained free of all
obstructions in case of emergency.

Obstructed exit

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 Exit Marking
Exits must be marked by
a readily visible sign
when the exit or way to
reach it is not immediately
visible to occupants.

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 Exit Marking (cont’d)

If a door, passage, or stairway is

not an exit or a way of exit
access, but may be mistaken for
one, it must be identified by a
sign reading “Not an Exit”,
“Storeroom”, “To Basement”, etc.

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 Exit Marking (cont’d)

A sign reading “Exit” with

an arrow indicating the
directions must be placed
in every location where
the direction of travel to
the nearest exit is not
immediately apparent.

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 Emergency Action Plan
• Describes actions that must be taken to ensure
employee safety in emergencies
• Includes floor plans or maps which show
emergency escape routes
• Tells employees what actions to take in emergency
situations
• Covers emergencies the employer may reasonably
expect, such as fires, explosions, toxic chemical
releases, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and
floods

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 Fire Prevention Plan
The plan must include:
• A list of the major fire hazards and handling,
storage, and control procedures
• Names or job titles of persons responsible for
maintenance of equipment and systems to prevent
or control ignitions or fires
• Names or job titles of persons responsible for
control of fuel source hazards
• Training for all employees who have
responsibilities in the plan

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 Portable Fire Extinguishers

If portable fire extinguishers

are provided for employee
use, the employer must
mount, locate and identify
them so workers can access
them without subjecting
themselves to possible injury.

Blocked extinguisher

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 Extinguisher Classification
Letter classification given an extinguisher to designate
the class or classes of fire on which it will be effective.
• Class A – ordinary combustibles (wood, cloth, paper)
• Class B – flammable liquids, gases, greases
• Class C – energized electrical equipment
• Class D – combustible metals

Combustible
Ordinary Flammable Electrical

A B
Liquids
C
Equipment
D
Combustibles
Metals

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 Extinguisher Rating
• Numerical rating given to Class A and B extinguishers
which indicate how large a fire an experienced person
can put out with the extinguisher
• Ratings are based on tests conducted at
Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc.
➢ Class A: 1-A, 2-A, . . . 40-A
➢ Class B: 1-B, 2-B, . . . 640-B
• A 4-A extinguisher, for example, should extinguish
about twice as much fire as a 2-A extinguisher

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Maintaining Portable Fire Extinguishers

• Must maintain in a fully charged

and operable condition
• Must keep in their designated
places at all times except during
use
• Must conduct an annual
maintenance check
• Must record the annual
maintenance date and retain this
record for one year after the last
entry or the life of the shell,
whichever is less
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 Portable Fire Extinguisher
Training and Education
• Where portable fire extinguishers
have been provided for employee
use in the workplace, employees
must be provided with an
educational program on the:
➢ General principles of fire
extinguisher use
➢ Hazards of incipient
(beginning) stage fire fighting
• Employees designated to use
extinguishers must receive
instruction and hands-on practice
in the operation of equipment
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 Summary
• There must be enough exits in the proper
arrangement for quick escape
• Escape routes must be marked, lighted, free of
obstructions, and locks must not be used to impede
or prevent escape
• An emergency action plan and a fire prevention plan
must be in place
• Fire extinguisher classes and numerical ratings help
a user understand its capabilities
• Fire extinguishers must be inspected, maintained and
employees must be trained in how to use them

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