Fire egress refers to methods of exiting a structure during a fire. Laws determine what standards a structure must meet to be considered fire escape safe, and agencies such as the US Fire Department and OSHA evaluate compliance. Fire exit standards have evolved over time, with features including clearly marked exits, multiple exits, fire-resistant materials, well-lit stairwells, and alarms. Building owners must keep in mind codes and make modifications as needed. Developing home front exit strategies is also important.
Egress is defined as a means of egress or a way to exit, and fire egress is defined more specifically as methods of exiting a structure during a fire. There are laws at the municipal, state, and federal levels that determine what standards a structure must meet to be considered fire escape safe, and a number of agencies can contribute to these laws. They can also be variable depending on location, and compliance with any of these laws may be evaluated by different agencies, such as the US Fire Department, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), depending on the type of building or structure. Additionally, buildings may be inspected for more than one type of output component and could be inspected for output during other disasters, natural or man-made.
Fire exit standards have evolved over a considerable period of time and often due to mass fires where people have not survived. As mentioned, many different agencies have studied people’s inability to escape to determine what is required to generate the likelihood of people being able to safely leave a facility. It would be difficult to list all the specific fire escape features, but there are some building code concepts that are usually shared to help people exit a building safely if a fire occurs.
Some of these features include clearly marked exits so people know where to go in the event of a fire. In most buildings, there must be at least two exits and there may be more if the building occupancy is high. The exits themselves usually need to be constructed of materials capable of withstanding the fire for one hour to two hours, and can never be inaccessible or blocked. In many buildings, even doors that have no exits need to be clearly marked so that panicked people don’t get confused and head in the wrong direction.
Because exits may include going down stairs, there are often specific standards that must exist in stairwells. Stairways must be well lit and stairs of a certain length need handrails. An additional requirement in fire exit standards are usually alarms, which help inform people if a fire is in progress.
Usually, whichever agency sets the building code in a state or country verifies that a building (whether it’s a residential, commercial, or industrial unit) adequately meets fire safety standards. When buildings are designed, architects and others must keep in mind any codes in order for a building to pass inspection. Periodically the code may change to meet new standards, which may require some modifications especially by commercial/industrial buildings. Alternatively, building owners may be asked to fine-tune their structure if they are doing anything that impedes a fire’s exit (such as blocking an exit with a filing cabinet).
On a smaller scale, fire exit can also mean developing home front exit strategies for leaving a home during a fire. It is wise to develop these and local fire departments can be very helpful in this regard. Making sure everyone has a plan in place if a house fire does happen can really save lives, especially if exit strategies are practiced from time to time.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
