...
Most of Washington’s requirements for exits (egress) are identical to the federal requirements at 29 CFR 1910.35, .36, and .37 [as published June 27, 1974 and subsequently amended]. Federal OSHA has since revised the rules for exits (egress). The revised rules at 29 CFR 1910.33 through .37 were effective December 9, 2002. Washington has adopted some of federal OSHA’s revisions in order to be at least as effective as the new OSHA regulations. Washington also adds further requirements. A summary of the additional requirements includes the following: Refer to 296-800-100 for an explanation about how the Washington Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) rules relate to fire, building, and electrical codes.
- Install a standard safeguard with a warning sign where a doorway or corner of a building is located near a railroad or trolley track where a worker could walk upon the track in front of an approaching engine or cars.
- Ensure that the exit route capacity does not decrease at any point.
- Ensure that exit routes are 28 inches wide or more at all points between handrails.
- Ensure that exit routes are wider than 28 inches if necessary to accommodate the expected occupant load.
- Ensure that each fire door and the frame and hardware of the fire door are approved and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
- Ensure that an exit door swings out when a room contains highly flammable or explosive materials.
- Guardrails must protect unenclosed sides of an outdoor exit route.
- Ensure that self-lighting exit signs have .06 footlamberts minimum luminance surface value.
- Ensure that walk-in refrigerators or freezer rooms use a door-opening device that allows employees to open the door from the inside even when it is locked from the outside.
- Unlike the federal OSHA, Washington state does not define exit access, exit discharge, high-hazard contents, low hazard contents, and ordinary hazard contents because these terms are not used in the Washington regulations.
- Unlike the federal OSHA, Washington state defines the term, self-lighting, at WAC 296-800-099.
- The term “means of egress” is not used in the Washington regulations. Instead, the term “exit route” is used as defined in WAC 296-800-099. Exit route is defined as “a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from any point within a workplace to safety outside.”
- The term “exit” is defined in WAC 296-800-099 as “provides a way of travel out of the workplace.”
To ensure that you are in compliance with these requirements, click on the following links to view the state and federal regulations regarding means of egress:
Washington: WAC 296-24-550 Means of egress
- WAC 296-24-55001 Definitions
WAC 296-24-565 Means of egress, general
- WAC 296-24-56525 Automatic sprinkler systems
- WAC 296-24-56527 Fire alarm signaling systems
WAC 296-800-310 Exit routes and employee alarm systems
- WAC 296-800-310 Summary
- WAC 296-800-31005 Provide an adequate number of exit routes
- WAC 296-800-31010 Make sure that exit routes are large enough
- WAC 296-800-31015 Make sure that exit routes meet their specific design and construction requirements
- WAC 296-800-31020 Make sure that each exit route leads outside
- WAC 296-800-31025 Provide unobstructed access to exit routes
- WAC 296-800-31030 Exit doors must be readily opened from the inside
- WAC 296-800-31035 Use side-hinged doors to connect rooms to exit routes
- WAC 296-800-31040 Provide outdoor exit routes that meet requirements
- WAC 296-800-31045 Minimize danger to employees while they are using emergency exit routes
- WAC 296-800-31050 Mark exits adequately
- WAC 296-800-31053 Provide adequate lighting for exit routes and signs
- WAC 296-800-31055 Maintain the fire retardant properties of paints or other coatings
- WAC 296-800-31060 Maintain emergency safeguards
- WAC 296-800-31065 Maintain exit routes during construction and repair
- WAC 296-800-31067 Provide doors in freezer or refrigerated rooms that open from the inside
- WAC 296-800-31070 Install and maintain an appropriate employee alarm system
- WAC 296-800-31075 Establish procedures for sounding emergency alarms
- WAC 296-800-31080 Test the employee alarm system
Federal: 29 CFR 1910.33, .34, .35, .36, .37, and Appendix to Subpart E