Egress is a general term used to refer to exiting a building or the exit routes that are available. According to the U.S. Department of Labor (2007), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code is the most widely used fire protection code in the United States, addressing such topics as providing means of egress from buildings. In general, the NFPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (2007) have taken steps to define elements related to the means of egress along with the design of egress systems. Specifically, OSHA (2007) defines exit as that portion of an exit route that is generally separated from other areas in order to provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge.
Exit access means that portion of the exit route that leads directly to an exit such as a corridor on the fifth floor of an office building that leads to a two-hour fire resistance-rated enclosed stairway. OSHA (2007) identifies exit discharge as part of the exit route leading directly outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the outside of a structure. Exit route refers to a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from any point within a workplace to a place of safety, including refuge areas. OSHA (2007, p. 147) says that "an exit route consists of three parts: the exit access; the exit; and the exit discharge." An exit route includes all the vertical and horizontal areas along this route.
The development over time of codes and guidelines impacting upon egress has resulted in a set of normative standards in the United States. These standards are often international in scope. According to the International Building Code (2006-2007), a means of egress must be clearly identified in designing buildings and must be structured to represent a width that is not less than the total occupant load served by the means of egress multiplied by a set of f...