Upon exiting a hotel, we rarely think about the path of travel from our room to the parking lot. Typically, we leave our room, board an elevator, and walk out of the hotel through the lobby. But every component you passed through in effort to exit the building has a lifesaving purpose. Here, we will cover some of the major portions of emergency egress within the built environment, offering you an understanding of just how crucial exit signage is to fulfilling the goal of saving lives in an emergency.
What Is an Exit?
Generally, an exit is that portion of a means of egress system between the exit access and the exit discharge or public way. Exit components include exterior exit doors at the level of exit discharge, interior exit stairways and ramps, exit passageways, exterior exit stairways and ramps, and horizontal exits. All emergency informational and directional signs are placed in such intermediate locations to inform guests where to go in case of a fire, with each of these components dependent on the other.
Exit Access
Now let’s discuss the different types of exits, the first of which is an exit access. Under the International Fire Code (IFC), an exit access is defined as that part of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of a building to an exit, and it begins with an exit access door. The IFC requires the installation of evacuation diagrams inside the guest room, with two routes clearly indicated (IFC, § 403.9.1.1).
Exit Passageways
Moving from the guest room, guests will travel through the exit passageway and horizontal exits. Exit passageways are essentially pathways or corridors that guests will travel through to get to a horizontal exit, such as a fire-rated door. Fire doors are not just regular doors, they are doors rated to specifically compartmentalize and slow the spread of fire throughout the building, keeping the flames at bay. Fire doors must be labeled with signage that indicates whether the door may remain open or closed (IFC, § 705.2.2).
Horizontal Exit Components
While signage for horizontal exit components like fire doors is pretty straight forward, an area of refuge must have signage that meets both fire code and ADA specifications. This means the section of hallway leading to an area of refuge needs directional and tactile signs, while the actual space itself must have instructional signage (IFC, §§ 1009.9, .10, .11).
Fire Safety
During a fire emergency, the vast majority of elevators are not rated for egress, requiring use of the exit access stairways. Simply put, exit access stairways are those stairwells included within the intermediate sections of the egress route. The wayfinding signage found throughout these interior stairwells is known as Interior Stairway Identification (IFC, § 1023.9), guiding guests to the ground-level exit discharge. Further, because we have a habit of taking the fastest route offered by an elevator, additional signs must be installed at the elevator banks to warn guests that a fire emergency could compromise the integrity of elevator equipment (IFC, § 604.4). Some jurisdictions even require evacuation diagrams at each elevator bank that direct occupants to the available exit access stairways.
After making your way from the guest room door (exit access), down the hallway (exit passageway), through the fire door (horizontal exit), and down the stairwell (exit access stairway), your guest will arrive at the level of exit discharge. The level of exit discharge is the point at which an exit terminates and an exit discharge begins. In other words, it’s the exit level of the building where one can find the final exit door leading to a public walkway outside of a building. Exit signs are found along this portion of the egress route to direct you to the nearest exit discharge door, as well as tactile signs indicating the exit discharge door.
Following the guidance egress signage provides should help to quickly and safely get your guests where they need to be in the case of a fire or other emergency. It’s vitally important that all of this signage is in its proper place in your hotel and that everything is up to code. If so, you can rest assured that the people who come to your hotel will stay safe and sound.
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