30 Egress
The place or means of going out; exit.
Helpful Advice
Clearly marked exit signs must follow local building regulations prior to building occupancy.
Codes and standards that regulate a building’s means of egress system will vary depending on the use of the particular building, area, or room, and can be complicated. Egress means exit and is an important part of all building codes for the safety of the occupants.
Some of these requirements include (but are not limited to) the following determining maximum occupant load depending on the number of exits; determining direction of door swings (typically out) based on maximum occupant load; doors that require panic hardware; the location and required number of automatic sprinklers; the requirement that exit doors have direct adjacency to exit corridors or stairwells (and not to pass through adjacent spaces); calculating size of exit doors based on occupant load; the placement of exit and entry signs; and the installation of luminous path markings.
Some of these calculations fall outside the role of an interior designer, so code consultants should be engaged. Nevertheless, the designer should be aware of and involved in the necessary precautions and the impact of the design of the space.
Famous showman P.T. Barnum’s popular American Museum would often be too crowded, so P.T. installed signs that read “This way to the Egress” as if it were another attraction similar to “To the Clown Show,” leading people out the exit door, which locked behind them and forced them to pay for another ticket to regain entry.
In some cases (such as an auditorium where people exit through a lobby), egress through an adjacent room (the lobby) is acceptable. For rooms with fixed seating (such as auditoriums), occupant load should not exceed the number of fixed seats, plus the number of designated wheelchair spaces, if provided. The occupant load for the stage or platform should be calculated separately from the seating area.