Emergency Action - How Safe Are Your Exit Routes?
Waiting until an emergency happens is the last thing you need to do this time of year - be prepared and evaluate your means of egress with these safety steps!
One of the most important doors in a building is often the most overlooked - until an emergency occurs, that is. Look around you – do you know where the nearest exit doors are located?
In an emergency, every second count!
Don’t get stuck looking for the nearest exit – be prepared when the lights go out with lighted exit signs. When people need to quickly exit your building, ensure they can recognize all means of egress. Keep all exit routes free from debris, and never lock the exit door so others can safely leave the building.
For your protection, emergency exit routes are regulated by organizations like OSHA and NFPA who work to ensure that egress routes are recognizable and located in easily accessible locations. Per OSHA 1910.37 (b)(1-2) “Each exit route must be adequately lighted so that an employee with normal vision can see along the exit route. Each exit must be clearly visible and marked by a sign reading "Exit.”
Keep the means of egress safe and accessible by following the Safety Features for Exit Routes, created by OSHA:
- Post signs along the exit access indicating the direction of travel to the nearest exit and exit discharge if that direction is not immediately apparent.
- Keep all exit routes free of explosives or highly flammable furnishings and other decorations.
- Arrange exit routes so employees will not have to travel toward a high-hazard area unless the path of travel is effectively shielded from the high-hazard area.
- Provide lighting for exit routes adequate for employees with normal vision.
- Prevent doors from being mistaken for an exit with “Not an Exit ” or with a sign identifying its use (such as “Closet”).
- Maintain exit routes during construction, repairs, or alterations.
OSHA requires that all line-of-sight exit signs be clearly visible and use plainly legible letters.
A well-designed exit sign is easily recognizable, even in the event of a power loss. Identify all exit routes with Glow-in-the-Dark Tapes, Glow Exit Signs, Lighted Exit Signs, and Glow-in-the-Dark Exit Projection Signs to ensure everyone can safely exit during an emergency.
