Section 408.10632. Obstructions.

(1) An employer shall ensure that exit routes are free and unobstructed. No materials or equipment may be placed, either permanently or temporarily, within the exit route. The exit access shall not go through a room that can be locked, such as a bathroom, to reach an exit or exit discharge, nor may it lead into a dead-end corridor. Stairs or a ramp shall be provided where the exit route is not substantially level.

(2)   A lock, fastening device, or barrier shall not be installed or used on a means of egress in a manner that will prevent or hinder free escape from the inside of a building.

(3)     Exit route doors shall be free of any device or alarm that could restrict emergency use of the exit route if the device or alarm fails.

(4)   Devices such as turnstiles and gates shall not be placed so as to obstruct a means of egress.

(5)    No combustible or flammable debris, waste, or other material, the burning of which would render hazardous egress from the building shall be placed, stored, or kept on, under, at the bottom of, or adjacent to a means of egress or elevator. Where a means of egress is being obstructed by the placement of movable objects, aisles shall be marked and railings or permanent barriers provided to protect the means of egress against encroachment. Railing or standard barrier as per General Industry Safety Standard Part 2 “Floor and Wall Openings, Stairways, and Skylights,” as referenced in R 408.10606.

(6)     Each exit route door shall be free of decorations or signs that obscure the visibility of the exit route door. A mirror shall not be placed on an exit door or be placed in or adjacent to an exit in a manner to confuse the direction of exit.

History: 1979 AC; 2015 AACS.