Emergency Egress and Exit Routes

Talking points

1. Exit routes must be clearly marked with illuminated 'EXIT' signs visible from any direction of approach. Emergency lighting must activate automatically during a power failure.
2. Exit routes must be kept clear at all times — no storage, equipment, locked doors, or obstructions. A blocked exit during a fire is a death trap.
3. Know at least two exit routes from your work area. If fire blocks one route, you need an alternative without hesitation.
4. Maximum travel distance to an exit is typically 200 feet (unsprinklered) or 250 feet (sprinklered) — but on construction sites, temporary exits must be planned as the building evolves.
5. During construction, exit routes change frequently. Review the current exit plan at the beginning of each phase and after any major change to the building layout.

Ask the crew

From where you are standing right now, can you identify two ways out — and are both routes clear?

Standards this talk is built on

• 29 CFR 1910.37

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

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