If the means of egress bothers you, look no further than your state’s fire code for a beefed-up standard on egress. OSHA standards are outdated and only intended to establish a “floor” that every employer has to work above. Even OSHA will tell you that complying with their standards will NOT help a business achieve world-class safety. Yet, the majority of businesses seek to comply with OSHA standards as their means to achieve a safe workplace. The facility’s means of egress is a MITIGATION layer of protection, but it is critically important. So I have always turned to the International Fire Code (IFC) as my standard for “means of egress” rather than OSHA’s 20-year-old standards, 1910.36 and 1910.37. Most states have adopted some edition of the IFC, so it could be a “compliance requirement” for many facilities; versus adopting NFPA standards for your egress standards. Take, for example, lighting for egress paths. OSHA says the path must be illuminated but does not define or quantify this in the standard. The standard simply states…
1910.37(b)(1) Each exit route must be adequately lighted so that an employee with normal vision can see along the exit route.
I hate when words like “adequately” are used in safety standards, as that word can mean many different things to many different folks. What one person says is “adequate” to them may be far from “adequate” for someone else. I much prefer how the IFC defines and quantifies this illumination requirement…
The 2021 IFC states: (emphasis by me)
|
1008.2.1 Illumination level under normal power. The means of egress illumination level shall be not less than 1 footcandle (11 lux) at the walking surface. Along exit access stairways , exit stairways and at their required landings, the illumination level shall be not less than 10 footcandles (108 lux) at the walking surface when the stairway is in use. |
The IFC defines the length of time the emergency illumination must last, as well as other rooms/areas that must be tied into the emergency illumination system.
|
1008.3 Emergency power for illumination The power supply for means of egress illumination shall normally be provided by the premises’ electrical supply. 1008.3.1 General In the event of power supply failure in rooms and spaces that require two or more means of egress exits or access to exits, an emergency electrical system shall automatically illuminate all of the following areas: 1. Aisles 2. Corridors 3. Exit access stairways and ramps 1008.3.2 Buildings In the event of power supply failure, in buildings that require two or more means of egress exits or access to exits, an emergency electrical system shall automatically illuminate all of the following areas: 1. Interior exit access stairways and ramps 2. Interior and exterior exit stairways and ramps 3. Exit passageways 4. Vestibules and areas on the level of discharge used for exit discharge in accordance with Section 1028.2. 5. Exterior landings as required by Section 1010.1.5 for exit doorways that lead directly to the exit discharge. 1008.3.3 Rooms and spaces. In the event of power supply failure, an emergency electrical system shall automatically illuminate all of the following areas: 1. Electrical equipment rooms 2. Fire command centers 3. Fire pump rooms 4. Generator rooms 5. Public restrooms with an area greater than 300 square feet (27.87 m2) 1008.3.4 Duration The emergency power system shall provide power for a duration of not less than 90 minutes and shall consist of storage batteries, unit equipment or an on-site generator. The installation of the emergency power system shall be in accordance with Section 2702 of the International Building Code. 1008.3.5 Illumination level under emergency power Emergency lighting facilities shall be arranged to provide initial illumination that is not less than an average of 1 footcandle (11 lux) and a minimum at any point of 0.1 footcandle (1 lux) measured along the path of egress at floor level. Illumination levels shall be permitted to decline to 0.6 footcandle (6 lux) average and a minimum at any point of 0.06 footcandle (0.6 lux) at the end of the emergency lighting time duration. A maximum-tominimum illumination uniformity ratio of 40 to 1 shall not be exceeded. |