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29 CFR 1910.36: Exit route design

Subpart E—Exit Routes and Emergency Planning · official heading: Design and construction requirements for exit routes

Exit routes must be permanent, lead outside, be at least 28 inches wide, and have exit doors that open from the inside without a key or special knowledge.

4,914citations since 2015
4,206employers cited
72%serious, willful or repeat
$628median penalty per item

OSHA has cited 29 CFR 1910.36 4,914 times since 2015, against 4,206 employers. Penalties on these items add up to $12,309,274 at their current amounts.

Citations per year

The parts of the rule cited most

1910.36(d)(1) · 2,276 citations

(d) An exit door must be unlocked. (1) Employees must be able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, tools, or special knowledge. A device such as a panic bar that locks only from the outside is permitted on exit discharge doors.

1910.36(g)(2) · 1,553 citations

(2) An exit access must be at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) 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.

1910.36(g)(4) · 234 citations

(4) 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.

1910.36(b)(1) · 113 citations

(b) The number of exit routes must be adequate—(1) Two exit routes. At least two exit routes must be available in a workplace to permit prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an emergency, except as allowed in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. The exit routes must be located as far away as practical from each other so that if one exit route is blocked by fire or smoke, employees can evacuate using the second exit route.

1910.36(e)(1) · 99 citations

(e) A side-hinged exit door must be used. (1) A side-hinged door must be used to connect any room to an exit route.

1910.36(c)(1) · 98 citations

(c) Exit discharge. (1) Each exit discharge must lead directly outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the outside.

1910.36(d)(2) · 79 citations

(2) 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.

1910.36(e)(2) · 73 citations

(2) 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).

Industries cited most

  • Manufacturing 1,282
  • Retail Trade 962
  • Public Administration 452
  • Transportation and Warehousing 415
  • Wholesale Trade 411
  • Accommodation and Food Services 227

States cited most

Recently cited employers