When to Evacuate

Fires that are beyond the incipient stage require evacuation. At least two exit routes must be available in a workplace in order for employees to promptly evacuate during emergency situations. The exit routes must be located as far away from one another as possible. If one exit route is blocked by fire or smoke, employees can evacuate using the second exit route.

More than two exit routes are required in certain workplaces to allow all employees to safely evacuate during an emergency. There are several factors that contribute toward the need for more than two exit routes, such as:

• Number of employees
• Size of the building
• Occupancy of the building
• Arrangement of the workplace

There are limited situations in which one exit route is permitted in the workplace. If the factors outlined above are such that all employees can safely evacuate a building during an emergency, only one exit route is required.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code can help determine exactly how many exits are required for each unique workplace.

To learn more about Fire Extinguishers visit our Portable Fire Extinguishers Online Training web page.