EGRESS BY ROLE
How Compliance Officers Should Audit Means of Egress
A repeatable, citation-mapped audit protocol — what to sample, what evidence to keep, and how OSHA, NFPA 101, and IBC divide the territory.
For a compliance officer, egress is attractive audit territory: the rules are prescriptive, the evidence is physical, and the findings are unambiguous. But a defensible audit needs more than a walkthrough — it needs a protocol that maps each observation to the governing text, distinguishes OSHA duties from fire-code duties, and produces evidence that survives scrutiny.
This page lays out that protocol: the citation hierarchy, the sampling approach, the documentation package, and the findings language that gets corrective action funded instead of filed.
Know which rulebook governs which finding
Three regimes overlap: OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.34–.39 (employer duties for existing workplaces), NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (adopted by most fire marshals, covering both building and operation), and IBC chapter 10 (design/construction, enforced at permit time). An audit finding should name the regime that creates the enforceable duty today — a design shortfall grandfathered under an old code is a different finding than an operational blockage under 1910.37(a)(3).
OSHA’s general egress duties: sufficient exit routes, properly arranged (1910.36(b)); adequate capacity and width (1910.36(g)); doors openable without keys or special knowledge (1910.36(d)); routes maintained, lit, and marked (1910.37); a written EAP with training where more than 10 employees (1910.38). NFPA 101 adds occupancy-specific travel-distance, common-path, and dead-end limits in chapter 7 plus the operational testing regimes (emergency lighting §7.9).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this evacuation map generator really free?
Yes — you can generate your first OSHA-aligned evacuation map draft completely free. Just upload a floor plan and our AI drafts a professional map in about 30 seconds. No credit card required.
Are the generated maps aligned with OSHA?
Our AI drafts maps that follow OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36–37 and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code standards. Every map includes clearly marked exits, fire extinguisher locations, assembly points, and directional evacuation arrows. Supervisor review is required before posting to your facility.
What file formats can I upload?
We accept PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, BMP, TIFF, AVIF, HEIC, SVG, PDF, DOC/DOCX, PPT/PPTX, XLS/XLSX, ODT, ODP, ODS, DXF, and DWG floor plans. Office and CAD files are converted securely before processing; PDF uploads let you choose the source page.
How long does map generation take?
Most maps are generated in 20–40 seconds. Complex multi-floor plans may take slightly longer. You see the preview instantly — create a free account (no credit card) to download the file.
Can I edit the map after generation?
Yes — every generated map opens in a free drag-and-drop editor where you can move, resize, and recolor exit signs, routes, and equipment icons. Enterprise features like multi-floor support and branded maps are available on paid plans.
Is my floor plan data secure?
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A sampling protocol that scales
Full-census audits collapse under their own weight in large portfolios. A defensible sample: every exit door and stair (census — they are few and high-consequence), a random sample of route segments measured for width and obstruction, all high-hazard-area egress (census, given 1910.36(b)(5) arrangement duties), and the documentation set in full (EAP, training records, lighting test logs, drill records).
Trace at least one complete route per floor from the most remote workstation to exit discharge, timing and measuring as you go — this single exercise surfaces travel-distance, signage-line-of-sight, and discharge problems that segment checks miss (NFPA 101 §7.6 travel distance; 1910.37(b)(4) requires route direction signage where the way is not obvious).
Evidence and findings that produce action
Photograph every finding with a scale reference and timestamp, record the citation, and classify by severity: imminent (locked exit door — 1910.36(d)), serious (route below 28 inches, missing emergency lighting), and administrative (stale map, incomplete training records under 1910.38(e)). The severity taxonomy is what turns an audit report into a funded corrective-action plan.
Close the loop with re-verification, not assurances: a finding is closed when re-inspection confirms the physical condition, and your evacuation-map set is regenerated wherever findings changed the effective routes. An audit trail that ends with updated posted maps is the clearest demonstration of a functioning egress program.
Egress audit evidence package
- ✓Citation-mapped findings log: condition, photo, rule (1910.36/.37/.38, NFPA 101, or IBC), severity
- ✓Census of exit doors/stairs; measured sample of route widths (28 in. floor, 1910.36(g))
- ✓One timed most-remote-point route trace per floor vs. NFPA 101 §7.6 limits
- ✓Document review: written EAP, training records, drill logs (1910.38(b), (e)–(f))
- ✓Emergency lighting + exit sign test logs (NFPA 101 §7.9; 1910.37(b)(6)–(7))
- ✓Closure evidence: re-inspection photos + regenerated evacuation maps
Frequently Asked Questions
Should audits cite OSHA or the fire code?
Cite whichever creates the enforceable duty for that condition: employer operational duties under 29 CFR 1910.36–.38, building/operational duties under the locally adopted NFPA 101 edition, design questions under the code of record. Naming the wrong regime is the fastest way to get a finding dismissed.
How do I audit travel distance without drawings?
Walk it: measuring wheel from the most remote occupiable point along the actual path to the exit, compared against the NFPA 101 chapter 7 limit for the occupancy and sprinkler status. A generated egress map with measured routes converts this into a repeatable annual comparison.
What egress records must an employer produce?
The written EAP (29 CFR 1910.38(b)), evidence employees were trained and the plan reviewed with them (1910.38(e)–(f)), and — under the fire code — emergency lighting and fire door inspection records (NFPA 101 §7.9; NFPA 80). Drill records are required where the plan or local code commits to drills.
How often should a full egress audit run?
Annually as a full protocol, supplemented by monthly operational walkthroughs and an event-driven trigger: any layout change, occupancy change, or renovation reopens the audit for the affected area (1910.37(d) covers maintenance during alterations).
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