{"id":22553,"date":"2016-11-07T15:13:18","date_gmt":"2016-11-07T23:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/?page_id=22553"},"modified":"2025-07-07T11:34:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T18:34:37","slug":"sppm-8-24","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/safety-policies-procedures-manual\/sppm-8-24\/","title":{"rendered":"8.24 Exit Routes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading wsu-font-size--xxmedium\">Safety Policies and Procedures Manual<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exit Routes<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--single\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<p><strong>SPPM 8.24<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For more information contact:<\/strong><br>&nbsp; &nbsp;WSU Fire Safety and Compliance<br>&nbsp; &nbsp;509-335-7471<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div id=\"toc_container\">\n<h3>Contents<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#One_0\">1.0 Policy and Definition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Two_0\">2.0 Responsibility<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Three_0\">3.0 Required Procedures<\/a>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Three_1\">3.1 Self Inspection<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Three_2\">3.2 Reporting Obstructions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Three_3\">3.3 Fire Safety and Compliance Officer Inspection<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"One_0\">1.0   Policy and Definition<\/h3>\n<p>Exit routes are an essential part of any plan designed to evacuate people from a building or other structure in the event of a fire and other emergency. A department should identify at least two exit routes from their general work area to an emergency assembly location or meeting place at least 75 yards from the building. (See <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/safety-policies-procedures-manual\/sppm-8-23\/\">SPPM 8.23<\/a> regarding fire survival planning and <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/safety-policies-procedures-manual\/sppm-8-27\/\">SPPM 8.27<\/a> regarding evacuation of persons with disabilities.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note: <\/strong>The number of required exits from a single room is determined by the occupant load and travel distance to the exit(s). Some spaces require only one exit.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Two_0\">2.0   Responsibility<\/h3>\n<p>The unit administrator and the area safety committee are responsible for establishing and communicating exit routes within spaces assigned to the unit.<\/p>\n<p>The unit administrator is responsible for ensuring the exit routes are not obstructed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Any obstruction of an exit route is a serious violation of the International Fire Code.<\/li>\n<p>Contact the WSU Fire Safety and Compliance Officer (FSCO) for more information regarding the International Fire Code. The FSCO consults with campus safety personnel as needed.<\/p>\n<li>No one may place items within the exit route that restrict or obstruct corridors, stairways, or other exit ways. (<a href=\"http:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/RCW\/default.aspx?cite=19.27\">RCW 19.27<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/WAC\/default.aspx?cite=296-24-21501\">WAC 296-24-21501<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/WAC\/default.aspx?cite=296-800-31025\">WAC 296-800-31025<\/a>) The objective is to prevent accidents, to provide unobstructed exit routes, and to comply with fire and safety regulations.<\/li>\n<p>For example, movers may not block exits with vehicles or dollies.<\/p>\n<li>Any material that may cause combustion, explosion, or the generation of toxic smoke and gases may not be placed in or near exit routes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Items placed, installed, or maintained anywhere within space assigned to an administrative unit must be consistent with the fire-resistive standards of the building or other structure.<\/p>\n<p>Personnel are not to place a door chock, wedge, or furniture item in a doorway that could prevent the door from automatically closing in the event of a fire.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Three_0\">3.0   Required Procedures<\/h3>\n<h4 id=\"Three_1\">3.1   Self Inspection<\/h4>\n<p>At least annually, a representative of the area safety committee and the unit administrator (or designee) must conduct a safety review to evaluate hazards and to recommend or take corrective action to minimize or eliminate hazards.<\/p>\n<p>Use the <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/documents\/2017\/10\/2-50-self-inspection-checklist.pdf\">Safety Inspection Checklist<\/a> (see <a href=\"http:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/safety-policies-procedures-manual\/sppm-2-50\/\">SPPM 2.50<\/a>)<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Three_2\">3.2   Reporting Obstructions<\/h4>\n<p>Anyone who identifies a hazard must report the hazard to the unit administrator, the safety committee representative, and\/or the WSU Fire Safety and Compliance Officer.<\/p>\n<p>Use a <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/documents\/2017\/10\/2-52-hazard-notification-form.pdf\/\">Hazard Notification<\/a> form to report obstructions (see <a href=\"http:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/safety-policies-procedures-manual\/sppm-2-52\/\">SPPM 2.52<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Exception: <\/strong>WSU Tri-Cities departments and personnel use the online<a href=\"https:\/\/tricities.wsu.edu\/facilities\/ehs-safety-concern-report-form\/\"> EHS Safety Concern Report form<\/a> to report obstructions.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Three_3\">3.3   Fire Inspection<\/h4>\n<p>The WSU Fire Safety and Compliance Officer or local fire department inspector may issue a notice of noncompliance if an administrative unit has obstructions within the department\u2019s exit routes.<\/p>\n<p>Distribution of notices of noncompliance:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First notice \u2013 The department chair\/unit administrator.<\/li>\n<li>Second notice \u2013 The appropriate dean\/next level administrator.<\/li>\n<li>Final notice \u2013 Dean and department chair\/unit administrator meet with local authority having jurisdiction (e.g., fire marshal).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-size: .8rem\">_______________________<br><strong>Revisions:<\/strong>&nbsp; Oct. 2023 (Rev. <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/revisions\/sppm-revisions\/sppm-revision-139\/\">139<\/a>); Aug. 2006 (Rev. 67); Nov. 1994 (Rev. 12*) Dec. 1989 &#8211; new policy (Rev. 7).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Safety Policies and Procedures Manual Exit Routes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1061,"featured_media":0,"parent":21864,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22553"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1061"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22553"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67266,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22553\/revisions\/67266"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=22553"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=22553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}