Building Safety Evacuation Plan

BUILDING SAFETY EVACUATION PLAN

EMERGENCY EVACUATION SYSTEMS

Is your building prepared for an emergency and in compliance with the new improved buildings safety laws?

HYLINE SAFETY COMPANY offers a complete system of photoluminescent safety components essential to a comprehensive emergency evacuation route.

Our Photoluminescent Emergency Evacuation sign systems offer:

Increased Safety
Fail Proof Reliability
Greater Energy Savings-Photoluminescent signs do not use electricity to illuminate as LED exit signs require.

What is an Emergency Evacuation System?
Why do we need glow-in-the-dark emergency evacuation markings?

Many of us think "It won't happen to me", yet a building fire and resulting smoke condition or natural disaster, such as a hurricane, an earthquake or thunderstorm, may easily create a sudden loss of power and frightening darkness situation.

Something as simple as a power loss / blackout can panic building occupants even if the building environment is familiar:

* Loss of Power or a Smoke condition
* Sudden Darkness
* Resulting Loss of Direction / Disorientation
* Leading to Fear / Panic
* All of these factors combine to create a very dangerous situation

AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY

Make certain your building or business has a Safety Evacuation Plan. Planning for emergencies saves lives. Preparation is usually very simple but must be done and effectively communicated to others in your workplace / living place. It is very important to train for emergencies so that each person knows the correct procedures for a safe evacuation if needed.

An Emergency Evacuation System has to fulfill certain requirements to be of help:
* It must be Fail Safe will function no matter what occurs
* It must be Reliable to function even in case of a power failure, smoke condition or explosion
* It must be Visible in smoke-filled situations where overhead lighting is obscured
* It must use uninterrupted continuous markings leading from the place of occupancy to safety
* It must be easy to understand and universally identifiable by children or people of various languages
* It must be visible even after an extended period of time

There are new international standards published that standardize safety way guidance systems and help to communicate the information necessary to allow people to evacuate all occupied areas efficiently and confidently in case of fire or other emergencies.

Please check our Safety Compliance Resource page.

BUILDING SAFETY INFORMATION- EVACUTION INSTRUCTIONS

Your immediate response should be:

Stop work- Remain Calm
Shut down all equipment
Leave your office area - Close your door

EXIT THE BUILDING

Walk quickly to the nearest exit
Alert other employees
Escort visitors from the building
Do not panic - Do not run

ASSEMBLY AREA

Assemble in your designated area
Advise supervisor if anyone is missing
Do not return to work area until all clear signal is given by proper authority EMERGENCY EXIT ROUTES
Post Floor Plans on Safety Information Board
Indicate Your Location on the

Exit Map

Mark Main Exit Route
Mark Fire Extinguisher and Fire Alarm Locations
Review Emergency Procedures with Employees at Regular Safety Meetings

FIRE EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS

Your immediate response should be:

Remain calm
Evaluate fire condition
Extinguish the fire if possible

BUILDING EVACUATION

Sound the fire alarm
Follow evacuation procedures
Escort visitors from building
Never use elevators to exit the building (unless instructed by firefighter officials)

NOTIFY FIRE DEPT.

Notify fire dept. of all hazards or evacuation concerns
Notify fire dept. of all fire extinguishers used or missing
Notify fire dept. of all blocked exits or obstructed aisle ways.

FIRE SAFETY CANNOT BE IGNORED

Workplace fires and explosions kill 200 and injure more than 5,000 workers each year. In 1995, more than 75,000 workplace fires cost businesses more than $2.3 billion.

Fire safety becomes everyone's job at a workplace. Employers should train workers about fire hazards in the workplace and what to do in a fire emergency. A Fire Safety plan should outline the assignments of key personnel in the event of a fire and provide an evacuation plan for workers on the site. Knowing the answers to the questions below could keep you safe during an emergency.

* How would you escape from your workplace in an emergency?
* Do you know where all the exits are in case your first choice exit is too crowded or blocked by fire or smoke?
* Are you sure the doors will be unlocked and that the exit access, such as a hallway, will not be blocked during a fire, explosion, or other crisis?
* Is your facility properly marked for easy emergency evacuation?
* Is important fire fighting equipment properly marked and identified and in proper working order?

What should building owners and employers do to protect workers from fire hazards? Building Owners and Employers must train workers about fire hazards in the workplace and what to do in a fire emergency.

What does OSHA require for emergency fire exits?

Every workplace must have enough exits suitably located to enable everyone to get out of the facility quickly. Considerations include the type of structure, the number of persons exposed, the fire protection available, the type of industry involved, and the height and type of construction of the building or structure.

In addition, fire doors must never ever be blocked or locked when employees are inside.

Delayed opening of fire doors, however, is permitted when an approved alarm system is integrated into the fire door design. Exit routes from buildings must be free of obstructions and properly marked with exit signs.

Design and Construction requirements for exit routes

* Make exit route design permanent.
* Ensure that the number of exit routes is adequate based on the number of employees, the size of the building, its occupancy, and the arrangement of the workplace.
* Separate an exit route from other workplace areas with materials that have the proper fire resistance rating for the number of stories the route connects.
* Ensure that exit routes meet width and height requirements. The width of exit routes must be sufficient to accommodate the maximum permitted occupant load of each floor served by the exit route.
* Ensure that doors used to access exit routes have side hinges and swing in the direction of travel (depending on occupancy and hazard areas).
* Design exit routes that lead to an outside area with enough space for all occupants.
* An outdoor exit route is permitted but may have additional site-specific requirements.
* Maintain the fire-retardant properties of paints and solutions that are used in exit routes.
* Ensure that required exit routes and fire protections are available and maintained, especially during repairs and alterations.
* Ensure that employee alarm systems are installed, operable, and in compliance with 29 CFR 1910.165 (Note: See Section I.A.5.).
* Direct employees through exit routes using clearly visible signs. These signs must meet the required letter height and illumination specifications.
* When openings could be mistaken for an exit, post appropriate signs stating "NOT AN EXIT".
* Arrange exit routes so that employees are not exposed to the dangers of high hazard areas.
* Exit routes must be free and unobstructed. Prevent obstructions, such as decorations, furnishings, locked doorways, and dead-ends within exit routes.

Make certain your building or business has a Safety Evacuation Plan! Planning for emergencies saves lives. Preparation is usually very simple but must be done and effectively communicated to others in your workplace / living place. It is very important to train for emergencies so that each person knows the correct procedures for a safe evacuation if needed.

Are you providing a safe exit from your facility in the event of an emergency or blackout situation?

The ASTM (American Society for Testing & Materials) E 2030-02 standard provides a "Guide for Recommended Uses of Photoluminescent Safety Markings" to supplement emergency lighting. Photoluminescent marking should include the following:

* Continuous Wall and Floor Markings in Corridors
* Marking of Exit Doors and Emergency Exits
* Non-exit doors inside of escape stairs
* Marking of Stairs, Ramps and Handrails
* Obstacles, Protrusions and Other Hazards
* Fire Fighting Equipment
* Escape Route Plans should be provided on each floor
* At any Exit Door leading to a stair, a sign should be provided that identifies the stair.
* In Stairs, a sign should be provided on each floor landing that Identifies the stair, the floor, and whether re-entry into the building is acceptable.

Emergency Exits- Every exit must be clearly visible, or the path to it conspicuously identified in such a manner that every occupant of the building will know the best way to get out of the building in a fire or other emergency.

Exits must never be obstructed. Any door or passageway that is not an exit or path to an exit must be identified with a sign that reads "Not An Exit" or a sign that indicates its actual use, such as storage.

All exit signs must either be self-illuminating, or illuminated by a reliable external light source.

NFPA Life Safety Code - Stair Identification Signs

NFPA Life Safety Code 101

3-7.3.1 Stairs serving five or more stories shall be provided with signage within the enclosure at each floor landing. The signage shall indicate the story, the terminus of the top and bottom of the stair enclosure, and the identification of the stair. The signage also shall state the story of, and the direction to, exit discharge. The signage shall be inside the enclosure located approximately 5 ft (1.5 m) above the floor landing in a position that is readily visible when the door is in the open or closed position.

3-7.3.2 Wherever an enclosed stair requires travel in an upward direction to reach the level of exit discharge, signs with directional indicators indicating the direction to the level of exit discharge shall be provided at each floor level landing from which upward direction of travel is required. Such signage shall be readily visible when the door is in the open or closed position.

Exception No. 1: This requirement shall not apply where signs required by 3-7.3.1 are provided.

Exception No. 2: Stairs extending not more than one story below the level of exit discharge where the exit discharge is clearly obvious shall not be subject to this requirement. (101:7.2.2.5.5)

3-7.3.3 The sign shall be painted or stenciled on the wall or on a separate sign securely attached to the wall.

3-7.3.4 Letters and numerals shall be of bold type and of contrasting color to the background.

3-7.3.6 Roof access or no roof access shall be designated by the words "Roof Access" or "No Roof Access" and placed under the stairway identification letter. Lettering shall be a minimum of 1 in. (2.5 cm) high bold block lettering. Exception: Existing approved signs.

3-7.3.7 The floor level number shall be placed in the middle of the sign in minimum 5 in. (12.7 cm) high bold block lettering. Mezzanine levels shall have the letter "M" or other appropriate identification letter preceding the floor number, while basement levels shall have the letter "B" or other appropriate identification letter preceding the floor level number.

3-7.3.8 The lower and upper terminus of the stairway shall be placed at the bottom of the sign in minimum 1 in. (2.5 cm) high bold block lettering.

3-7.3.9 These signs shall be maintained in an approved manner.