Should a serious incident ever occur at your facility which requires evacuation, properly created

and labeled evacuation plans could be the difference between life and death for employees.

Without a well-structured evacuation plan, employees could waste precious time trying to figure

out the best way to leave a facility. Because of the importance of these plans, OSHA created

Standard 1910.36 which governs all things evacuation route related.

It covers everything from the printed plans to the routes used to the number of permanent exits to

the condition of the routes. So if you have any questions about creating or updating an

evacuation plan, you will want to start with Standard 1910.36.

The first thing to do is ensure you have an adequate number of permanent exits based upon the

number of employees and size of the facility. Once you have ensured there are enough egress

points, you need to map out the most effective routes from everywhere in the facility. This

involves taking into account which hallways, doorways, and stairwells will be utilized. Once the

plans are all mapped out, it is time to print them. It is important to be sure the printed evacuation

routes are properly posted in the proper way. If not, this is not only a violation during an OSHA

audit, but also a potential hazard for employees.

Finally, you need to review the evacuation routes to ensure they have appropriate lighting, are

effectively reinforced, that doors and windows can be accessed from the outside, and that

everything is unobstructed by permanent or movable items.

If you have any questions about evacuation plans or need help in establishing one for your

facility, please contact us. If you have anything to add about evacuation plans, please leave a

comment.