OSHA - EGRESS AND

FIRE PROTECTION
INTRODUCTION


This course covers broad issues of
Egress Fire protection. Our
discussion will be in two parts. Part
one contains introduction to Egress
and fire protection. Part two will
discuss the Means of Egress and
Emergency and fire prevention plans.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The learning objectives of this course are the
following:

Understand the importance of the Means of
Egress.
To know the safety requirements for means of
egress.
To understand how to implement hazard
prevention and control program and
assessments.
To understand the elements which constitute
the effective Egress fire protection program.

KEY TERMS
Means of Egress:
A continuous and unobstructed plan of exit
comprised of the path to and from the exit
(access and discharge, respectively) as well as
the exit itself
Exit Access:
The portion of the "means of egress" which
leads to an entrance or exit
Exit:
Portion of a means of Egress, separated from
all other spaces, to provide a protected way of
travel to exit discharge.
KEY TERMS
Low Hazard content:
These contents are those with low combustibility
that no self-propagating fire can occur and that the
only probable danger requiring the use of
emergency exits will be from panic, fumes, smoke
or fire from external source.
Ordinary Hazard content:
These contents are liable to burn with moderate
rapidity. They give off considerable smoke, but do
not produce poisonous fumes or explosions.
High Hazard content:
These are liable to burn with extreme rapidity. They
produce poisonous fumes and /or explosions are
feared in the event of fire to, or with in the contents.


INTRODUCTION TO EGRESS
AND FIRE PROTECTION
This lesson focuses on the following topics:

Overview
Fundamental Requirements 1910.36(b)
Protection During Construction And Repair 1910.36(c)
Maintenance 1910.36(d)

LESSON 1
OVERVIEW
The goal of this course is to emphasize the general fundamental
requirements essential to providing a safe means of egress from fire
and other like emergencies from a new or old building/structure
designed for human occupancy

This course outlines only the minimum regulations for buildings and
structures as set forth in Subpart E of OSHA standards, requirements
that could and should be exceeded when necessary.
LESSON 1
FUNDAMENTAL
REQUIREMENTS 1910.36

An effective means of egress could include regulations for exit routes,
exit route availability, and exit discharge.

Exit routes 1910.36(a)
Exit routes must be permanent, must be separated by fire resistant
materials, and must have limited openings into an exit necessary to
allow access to the exit from occupied areas of the workplace
LESSON 1
FUNDAMENTAL
REQUIREMENTS 1910.36

Exit route availability 1910.36(b)

The number of exit routes is mostly dependent on the number
employees, the size of the building, its occupancy, or the
arrangement of the workplace, and the effect these factors have on
the ability to evacuate safely in the event of an emergency.
LESSON 1
FUNDAMENTAL
REQUIREMENTS 1910.36
Exit discharge 1910.36(c)
Each exit discharge must lead directly outside or to a street,
walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the
outside. The space to which an exit discharge leads must be large
enough to accommodate the building occupants likely to use the exit
route.
LESSON 1
EXIT ROUTE REQUIREMENTS
1910.36(G)
All means of egress must be in compliance with the following
guidelines with regards to exit routes:

The ceiling of an exit route must be at least 7-1/2 feet high; any
projection from the ceiling must not reach a point less than 6-2/3
feet from the floor.
An exit access must be at least 28 inches wide at all points.
Where there is only one exit access leading to an exit or exit
discharge, the width of the exit and exit discharge must be at
least equal to the width of the exit access.

LESSON 1
EXIT ROUTE REQUIREMENTS
1910.36(G)


The width of an exit route must be sufficient to accommodate the
maximum permitted occupant load of each floor served by the
exit route.

Objects that project into the exit route must not reduce the width
of the exit route to less than the minimum width requirements for
exit routes.

LESSON 1
EXIT DOOR REQUIREMENTS
1910.36(D)

Employees must be able to open an exit route door from the inside at
all times without keys, tools, or special knowledge. Exit route doors
must be free of any device or alarm that could restrict emergency use
of the exit route if the device or alarm fails.
LESSON 1
MEANS OF EGRESS 1910.37

This Lesson Focuses on the Following Topics:

General Guidelines
Exit Qualifications
LESSON 2
GENERAL GUIDELINES

LESSON 2
Proper means of egress require inspection, testing, &
maintenance. Keep the following guidelines in mind when
instituting a means of egress for your structure:

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
Minimum escape route width: 28 inches; minimum
ceiling height: 7.5 feet

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1910.37(l) - No furnishings, decorations, or other objects shall be so placed as
to obstruct exits, including access to, egress from, or their visibility.
GENERAL GUIDELINES

Width and capacity of means of egress

Level egress components: 100 persons/unit
(Including Class A ramps)
Inclined egress components: 60 persons/unit
(Including Class B ramps)
LESSON 2


GENERAL GUIDELINES

Egress capacity & occupant load

Capacity should be sufficient for load of space.
Occupant load is max persons in space.
Exit capacity means that there should be no
decrease along travel to exit.
LESSON 2


EXIT COMPONENTS

1910.36(e) - A side-hinged door must be used to connect any room
to an exit route. The door that connects any room to an exit route
must swing out in the direction of exit travel if the room is designed to
be occupied by more than 50 people or if the room is a high hazard
area
1910.36(f) - Exit routes must support the maximum permitted
occupant load for each floor served.
LESSON 2
EXIT COMPONENTS

1910.36(h) - An outdoor exit route is permitted; the outdoor exit route
must have guardrails to protect unenclosed sides if a fall hazard exists.
The outdoor exit route must be reasonably straight and have smooth,
solid, substantially level walkways.
LESSON 2
EXIT COMPONENTS

Exit width should be:

Measured in clear at narrowest
point.
Handrails can project up to 5.
Stair stringers project no more than
1.5.
LESSON 2
EXIT COMPONENTS

Arrangements of exits:

When multiple exits are required on the floor.
Two exits must be separated.
Minimum width of an exit is 28.
LESSON 2
EXIT COMPONENTS

Exterior routes of exit access should
be:

Smooth, solid, level floors.
Guard rails on open sides.
Permanent with straight route.
No dead ends longer than 20 feet.
LESSON 2
EMERGENCY AND FIRE
PREVENTION PLANS
1910.38

This Lesson Focuses on the Following Topics:

Elements Of The Emergency Action Plan
Fire Action Plans
LESSON 3
ELEMENTS OF THE
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
The major elements of the plan are:
Escape procedures and route.
Critical operations shutdown.
Personnel accountability.
Rescue & medical duties.
Means of reporting emergencies
LESSON 3
ELEMENTS OF THE
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

Evacuation

Types of evacuation (partial or complete)

Refuge area designated in plan
LESSON 3
ELEMENTS OF THE
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
Training:

Train personnel before implementing
Employer review plan with employees
Wardens selected to assist evacuation
LESSON 3
Alarm system complying with 1910.165 must be present
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ELEMENTS OF THE
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
Medical assistance:

In absence of medical facility, employees
must be trained in first aid.
Eye wash and shower should be available.
Availability of medical personnel for advice
and consultation should be arranged.

LESSON 3
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
1910.38
An emergency action plan must include at a minimum:

Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency;
Procedures for emergency evacuation, including type of evacuation
and exit route assignments;
Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical
plant operations before they evacuate;

LESSON 3
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
1910.38

Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation;
Procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical
duties; and
The name or job title of every employee who may be contacted by
employees who need more information about the plan or an
explanation of their duties under the plan.

LESSON 3
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
1910.38
Training:

An employer must designate and
train employees to assist in a safe
and orderly evacuation of other
employees.
LESSON 3
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
1910.38
Review of emergency action plan

An employer must review the emergency action plan with each employee
covered by the plan:

When the plan is developed or the employee is assigned initially to a job;
When the employee's responsibilities under the plan change; and
When the plan is changed.

LESSON 3