Small Business Self-Evaluation Checklist: Egress

During a fire, unobstructed emergency egress ensures that building occupants, including workers, can exit a building to safety. This “Client Handout” provides small business owners a means of identifying potential problem areas that may occur with emergency egress from their buildings. Any question answered “No” should be thoroughly investigated and corrective actions taken.

Questions	Yes	No	N/A
Are all exits marked with an exit sign and illuminated by a reliable light source?
Are the directions to exits, when not immediately apparent, marked with a visible sign?
Are doors, passageways or stairways that are neither exits nor access to exits, and which could be mistaken for exits, appropriately marked “NOT AN EXIT”?
Are exit signs provided with the word “EXIT”?
Are all exits kept free from obstructions?
Are at least two means of egress provided from elevated platforms, pits, or rooms where the absence of a second exit would increase the risk of injury from a hot, poisonous, corrosive, suffocating, flammable, or explosive substance?
Are there sufficient exits, as required by local building or life safety codes, to permit prompt escape in case of emergency?
Are precautions taken to protect employees during construction and repair operations?
Are exit doors designed and constructed so that the means of exit access is maintained?
Are windows, which could be mistaken for exit doors, marked “NOT AN EXIT”?
Are exit doors operable from the direction of exit travel without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort when the building is occupied?
Where panic hardware is installed on a required exit door, will it allow the door to open by applying a force of 15 lbs (6.8 kg) or less in the direction of the exit traffic?
Are doors on cold storage rooms provided with an inside release mechanism that will release the latch and open the door even if a door padlocked or otherwise locked?
Where exit doors open directly onto a street, alley or other area where vehicles may be operated, are adequate barriers and warnings provided?
Are doors that swing in both directions, and which are located between rooms where there is frequent traffic, provided with viewing panels in each door?