Exit routes, also known as evacuation plans or means of egress, are the paths your employees can take to exit your facility in the event of an emergency. These exit routes must be properly designed, implemented, distributed, and maintained. If they aren’t, your company is in violation of OSHA Standards and your employees are at risk.

There are 2 primary standards which relate to exit routes – Standard 1910.36 and Standard 1910.37. Standard 1910.36 mainly focuses on creating an evacuation plan, including how many exits and how many different routes to the exits must be available. Standard 1910.37 focuses on exit route maintenance.

Standard 1910.36 needs to be a consideration from the beginning as you create your evacuation plan. It sets the guidelines not only for the flow of the routes and the number of required routes and exits, but also for the construction of the routes and exits. This includes the materials used, the size of the openings, the types of doors at the openings, and how these routes and exits must be accessed.

Standard 1910.37, meanwhile, must be a long term consideration as you maintain your facility. This standard tells you what safety features, signage, and lighting are required for the many different types of exit routes available. If you have not recently reviewed your exit routes to ensure they are up to code with this standard, it might be a good time to schedule a third party safety audit – in the event of an emergency, it is important to be sure your employees can evacuate your facility safely and effectively.

Should you have any questions about establishing or maintaining your exit routes, please contact us. And if you have anything else to add about exit routes, please leave a  comment.