Exit Discharge & Rules for Exit Doors

Several rules apply to the exit route discharge and the exit door.

Exit Discharge

Each exit discharge must lead directly outside to a safe area, such as:

• A street
• A walkway
• A refuge area
• A public way
• An open space

The street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space must be able to accommodate the number of occupants most likely to be exiting the building via the discharge.

If exit stairs continue beyond the level on which the exit discharge is located, the stairs must be interrupted at that level by some means to clearly indicate the direction of travel leading to the exit discharge, such as:

• Doors
• Partitions
• Other effective means

Exit Doors

Exit doors must be unlocked. Employees must be able to unlock exit doors at all times without the use of additional help, such as:

• Keys
• Tools
• Special knowledge

Exit doors must be free of devices or alarms that could restrict emergency use of the exit route in a case where the device or alarm fails.

An exit door may be locked from the inside in special circumstances, such as:

• In mental facilities
• In correctional facilities
• In penal facilities

In these scenarios, supervisory personnel must be on duty continuously and the employer must have a plan to remove all occupants from the facility in case of an emergency.

To learn more about Exit Routes and Fire Protection visit our Exit Routes, Emergency Action, Fire Prevention & Protection Online Training web page.