What OSHA Requires
OSHA requirements for the management of fire hazards are set out not in one but two separate
Subsections of the General Industry Standard:
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Subpart E, entitled Means of Egress (Sections 1910.33 to 1910.39), requires employers to
develop action plans to prevent and respond to fires and other emergencies;
Subpart L, Fire Protection (Sections 1910.155 to 1910.165), sets out the specific measures
employers must take to suppress fires.
In addition, many other OSHA standards include fire safety requirements, including standards addressing
specific equipment like respirators, operations like hot work or confined space entry and substances like
butadiene.
I. MEANS OF EGRESS (SUBPART E)
There are 3 basic things you must do to meet Means of Egress requirements:
1. Ensure your workplace has adequate exit routes for evacuation;
2. Implement an emergency action plan; and
3. Implement a fire prevention plan.
STEP 1: ENSURE PROPER EXIT ROUTES
[ ] Exit routes must be a permanent part of the workplace
[ ] Each exit must be separated by fire resistant materials and meet specific fire resistance-ratings that
vary depending on how many stories the workplace has
[ ] The exit must have only openings necessary to allow access to the exit from occupied areas of the
workplace, or to the exit discharge
[ ] Openings into an exit must be protected by a self-closing fire door that remains closed or
automatically closes in an emergency when a fire alarm or employee alarm system sounds
[ ] All fire doors, including frame and hardware, must be listed or approved by a nationally recognized
testing lab
[ ] There must be an adequate number of exit routes at your facility:
[ ] One exit route is OK where the number of employees, size of the building, its occupancy or
the arrangement of the workplace is such as to allow safe evacuation in an emergency
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[ ] At least 2 exit routes located as far from each other as possible are generally required at most
workplaces
[ ] More than 2 exit routes must be available in a workplace if the number of employees, the size
of the building, its occupancy or the arrangement of the workplace is such as not to allow for all
employees to evacuate safely in an emergency
[ ] 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 street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space to which an exit discharge must be large
enough to accommodate the building occupants likely to use the exit route
[ ] Exit stairs that continue beyond the level of the exit discharge must be interrupted at that level by
doors, partitions or other effective means that clearly indicate the direction of travel leading to the exit
discharge
[ ] Exit doors must be kept unlocked
[ ] 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 may not have any device or alarm that could restrict emergency use of the exit route
if the device or alarm fails
[ ] A side-hinged exit 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 (i.e., contains
contents that are likely to burn with extreme rapidity or explode).
[ ] Exit routes must support the maximum permitted occupant load for each floor served
[ ] Capacity of an exit route may not decrease in the direction of exit route travel to the exit discharge
[ ] The ceiling of an exit route must be at least 7 feet, 6 inches (2.3 m) high
[ ] No projection from the ceiling may reach a point less than 6 feet, 8 inches (2.0 m) from the floor
[ ] An exit access must be at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points
[ ] Exit routes must be wide enough to accommodate the maximum permitted occupant load of each floor
served by the exit route
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[ ] Outdoor exit routes must have guardrails on unenclosed sides to prevent fall hazards
[ ] Outdoor exit routes must be covered if snow or ice is likely to accumulate along the route, unless you
can demonstrate that any snow or ice accumulation will be removed before it presents a slipping hazard
[ ] Outdoor exit routes must be reasonably straight and have smooth, solid, substantially level walkways
[ ] Outdoor exit routes can’t have a dead-end longer than 20 feet (6.2 m).
[ ] Exit routes must be kept free of explosive or highly flammable furnishings or other decorations
[ ] Exit routes must be arranged so that employees don’t have to travel to a high hazard areas unless there
are physical barriers in place to shield them from those hazards
[ ] Exit routes must be free of materials, equipment or other obstructions
[ ] The exit access may not go through a room that can be locked or lead into a dead-end corridor
[ ] There must be stairs or a ramp where the exit route isn’t “substantially level”
[ ] Sprinkler systems, alarm systems, fire doors, exit lighting and other safeguards used to protect
employees in an emergency must be in proper working order at all times
[ ] Each exit route must be adequately lit 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"
[ ] Exit route doors may not have any decorations or signs that obscure the visibility of the exit route door
[ ] Signs indicating the direction of travel to the nearest exit and exit discharge must be posted along the
exit access—unless the direction of travel is obvious
[ ] The line-of-sight to an exit sign must be clearly visible at all times
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[ ] Each doorway or passage along an exit access that could be mistaken for an exit must be marked "Not
an Exit" or by a sign indicating its actual use
[ ] Each exit sign must be illuminated to a surface value of at least 5 foot-candles (54 lux) by a reliable
light source and is distinctive in color
[ ] Each exit sign must have the word "Exit" in plainly legible letters no less than 6 inches (15.2 cm)
high, with the principal strokes of the letters in the word "Exit" no less than 3/4 of an inch (1.9 cm) wide
[ ] Fire retardant paints or solutions must be renewed as often as necessary to keep them fire retardant
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[ ] Exit routes must be maintained during construction, repairs or alterations
[ ] Employees may not occupy a workplace during new construction, unless and until the required exit
routes are completed and good to go
[ ] Employees may not occupy a workplace during repairs or alterations, unless and until the required exit
routes are available and existing fire protections are maintained, or until alternate fire protection
providing equivalent safety is furnished
[ ] Employees may not be exposed to hazards of flammable or explosive substances or equipment used
during construction, repairs or alterations, that are “beyond the normal permissible conditions in the
workplace,” or that would impede exiting the workplace
STEP 2: IMPLEMENT EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN (EAP)
An EAP is required if: i. you have to provide fire extinguishers; and ii. people will be evacuating the
workplace in a fire or other emergency, including floods, earthquakes, chemical releases, etc. This
includes just about all workplaces. Exception: Companies that have an in-house fire brigade in which
every employee is trained and equipped to fight fires, and consequently, no one evacuates.
[ ] The EAP must be in writing (unless you have 10 or fewer employees), kept in the workplace and
available for employees to review
[ ] The EAP must include:
[ ] Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency
[ ] Emergency evacuation procedures, including evacuation type and exit route assignments,
including procedures for employees with disabilities and require help evacuating
[ ] Procedures to be followed by employees who remain behind to operate critical plant
operations before they evacuate
[ ] Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation
[ ] Procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties
[ ] 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
[ ] You must have and maintain an employee alarm system that uses a distinctive signal for each purpose
and comply with the requirements in §1910.165 of the Fire Protection standard
[ ] You must designate and train employees to assist other employees evacuate safely and in orderly way
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[ ] You must review the EAP with each employee covered by the plan:
[ ] When the plan is developed or the employee is initially assigned to a job to do under or
affected by the EAP; and
[ ] When the employee's responsibilities under the EAP change; and
[ ] When the EAP is changed
[ ] You must train employees designated to use fire fighting equipment under the EAP in the appropriate
use of the equipment:
[ ] Upon initial assignment of that responsibility; and
[ ] At least once a year thereafter
STEP 3: IMPLEMENT FIRE PREVENTION PLAN (FPP)
[ ] The FPP must be in writing (unless you have 10 or fewer employees), kept in the workplace and
available for employees to review
[ ] The FPP must include:
[ ] A list of all major fire hazards
[ ] Procedures for proper handling and storage of hazardous materials
[ ] A list of potential ignition sources and their control
[ ] A description of fire protection equipment necessary to control each major hazard
[ ] Procedures to control accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials
[ ] Procedures for regular maintenance of safeguards installed on heat-producing equipment to
prevent the accidental ignition of combustible materials
[ ] The name or job title of employees responsible for maintaining equipment to prevent or
control sources of ignition or fires
[ ] The name or job title of employees responsible for the control of fuel source hazards
[ ] You must inform employees when you first assign them to a job of the fire hazards they face on the
job
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[ ] You must review with each employee those parts of the FPP necessary for self-protection
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