Free tool · about two minutes
What does your evacuation map need?
Answer eight questions about one building. You get the fire code and OSHA rules that likely apply, what the map should show, where to post it and whether the map you have now is out of date.
Only need to know whether your map is out of date?
Your answers stay in this browser. This is a starting point, not legal advice; your local fire official has the final say.
- Describe one building
Eight short questions: where it is, how it is used, its size, who is inside and how old the current map is.
- Read your checklist
The fire code and OSHA rules that likely apply, with section numbers you can look up, plus what the map should show and where it goes.
- Draw the map
Send your state and building type to the free map maker, upload a floor plan and check the draft before you post it.
The questions
Tell us about the building
Only the first two questions are required. Every extra answer makes the checklist more specific.
Free map maker
Draw your evacuation map
Upload a floor plan, photo or sketch. You get a draft with exits, routes and equipment that you check and edit before posting.
Questions
About the advisor
What does the evacuation map advisor do?
It turns a few facts about one building into a checklist: which fire code and OSHA rules are likely to apply, what the map should show, where copies usually go and whether the map you have now looks out of date. Treat it as preparation for a talk with your local fire official, not as an approval.
Are my answers saved?
No. The checklist is worked out inside your browser and we do not store your answers. If you press the button to make a map, your state and building type are added to the page address and filled into the map maker for you.
Why are the section numbers from the 2021 IFC?
Section numbers have to come from one edition, so the advisor quotes Chapter 4 of the 2021 International Fire Code. Your state may use an older or newer edition, and state or city amendments can change the wording. When your state’s edition is different, the checklist says so.
My state uses NFPA codes. Why are there no section numbers?
NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 sort their emergency plan rules by building type, and each state adopts its own edition with its own changes. Rather than guess, the advisor points you to your local fire official for the plan, drill and diagram rules in your building.
Does every workplace need an evacuation map?
Not under OSHA alone. The OSHA plan rule, 29 CFR 1910.38, kicks in when another OSHA standard calls for a plan. It asks for written procedures, with a spoken option for employers with 10 or fewer employees, and for exit route assignments. A map is never named, but posting one is the usual way to show those routes. Some fire codes do name diagrams, for example in hotel rooms.
How often should the map be updated?
Each time the building, the staff or the plan changes, and at least once a year as a habit. In IFC states, the 2021 IFC expects a yearly review plus an update after changes to staff, occupancy or layout (Section 404.3). OSHA also expects you to go back over the plan with employees whenever it changes.
Can I only check whether my map is out of date?
Yes. Pick “Is my map out of date?” above the questions, say when the map was last updated and tick anything that has changed since. You get a short answer and a guide for each change. Choosing your state as well ties the review advice to the fire code it uses.
What are the OSHA penalties?
OSHA posts its maximums at osha.gov/penalties: $16,550 for each serious violation and $165,514 for each willful or repeated one. A penalty follows a citation under a specific standard, such as the emergency action plan rule, so what counts is whether the plan itself meets that standard.
Can the advisor confirm that my building complies?
No. It does not inspect anything and cannot approve a plan. Your fire official decides how the building is classified, how many people it holds and which local changes apply. OSHA or your state plan enforces the workplace rules.