Free checklist · 29 CFR 1910.37 / 1910.36
Exit Sign Inspection Checklist: Signs, Lighting, and Doors
An exit sign inspection checklist helps you verify that people can find an exit and continue safely outside. This checklist covers sign visibility, lettering, illumination, directional arrows, misleading doors, backup lighting, and usable exit routes. Facility managers and supervisors can use it to record defects and coordinate repairs with building maintenance.
The full exit sign inspection checklist
Exit Sign & Egress Compliance Checklist. Blanks in [brackets] are for your own details.
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Verifies exit signage, marking, illumination, and means-of-egress requirements under the OSHA exit-route standard so every exit is clearly identified and usable in an emergency.
Exit Signs
- 1Each exit is clearly visible and marked by a sign reading "EXIT" in plainly legible letters
- 2EXIT sign letters are at least 6 inches high with strokes at least 3/4 inch wide
Illumination
- 3Each EXIT sign is illuminated to a surface value of at least 5 foot-candles by a reliable light source
- 4Self-luminous/electroluminescent signs meet the equivalent visibility requirement
- 5Exit routes are adequately lit so an employee with normal vision can see along the route
- 6Backup/emergency lighting provides illumination along exit routes during a power loss
Directional
- 7Directional signs with an arrow are posted where the path to an exit is not immediately apparent
- 8Doors/passages that could be mistaken for an exit are marked "Not an Exit" or by their use (e.g., "Storeroom")
Visibility
- 9The line of sight to the nearest EXIT sign is clearly visible at all times
- 10Exit doors are free of decorations, signs, or mirrors that obscure or distract from their visibility
Means of Egress
- 11Exit access, exit, and exit discharge are continuous and unobstructed to the outside
- 12Exit doors are unlocked from the inside and operable without keys, tools, or special knowledge
- 13Exit route doors swing in the direction of egress travel where serving high-hazard or 50+ occupants
- 14Exit route width and capacity are adequate for the number of occupants served
- 15Minimum of two exits remote from each other are provided where occupancy/layout requires
Maintenance
- 16Exit signs and emergency lighting are tested and maintained on a documented schedule
The printable copy adds Pass, Fail and N/A columns with Inspector, Supervisor review and Date lines.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a qualified person check it against your site, your state's rules and the standard before you rely on it.
Exit sign inspection checklist: when it’s needed
Inspect signs and routes during routine building rounds and after layout changes, tenant work, or lighting failures. Federal rules require an Exit sign at exits under 29 CFR 1910.37(b)(2), directional signs where the route is unclear under 1910.37(b)(4), and labeling of misleading doors under 1910.37(b)(5). Illumination and lettering are addressed in 1910.37(b)(6) and (7). These requirements concern the actual building conditions; this particular checklist is a recommended way to organize the review, not a federally prescribed form.
How to use this exit sign inspection checklist
- Start in occupied rooms and follow each exit route to its discharge, checking visibility from normal approach directions.
- Measure lettering and verify illumination using suitable methods rather than judging sign performance only by appearance.
- Test exit door operation from inside, and report locks or hardware that prevent immediate escape.
- Record the location of obscured signs, missing arrows, failed lamps, and misleading doors so maintenance can find them.
- Review emergency lighting test records and assign repairs, then reinspect each affected route after the work is finished.
Before you use this exit sign inspection checklist: what to fill in and check
- Sign locations, occupied areas served, and any partitions or stored materials blocking sightlines.
- Lighting power sources, sign specifications, and the person responsible for testing equipment.
- Local fire code provisions and the building authority’s emergency lighting testing expectations.
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Exit sign inspection checklist questions
How bright does an OSHA exit sign need to be?
Under 29 CFR 1910.37(b)(6), an exit sign needs illumination of at least 5 foot-candles from a reliable light source. Self-luminous or electroluminescent signs must have a surface luminance of at least 0.06 footlamberts. The lettering rule in 1910.37(b)(7) calls for letters at least 6 inches tall with principal strokes at least three-quarters of an inch wide.
Are monthly emergency lighting tests an OSHA requirement?
Do not attribute the monthly 30-second and annual 90-minute battery-powered emergency lighting tests to OSHA. Those test intervals come from NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code. Confirm the testing provisions adopted for your building with the local authority and equipment instructions. Keep records that identify the unit tested, result, defects found, and completed repairs.
Can an exit door stay locked if employees have a key?
An exit route door must open from inside without a key, tool, or special knowledge under 29 CFR 1910.36(d)(1). Giving employees a key does not address that requirement. Check the actual hardware from the occupied side. If the arrangement prevents escape, escalate it immediately to the person responsible for the building rather than simply noting it for a future round.