For an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to be effective, careful planning of exit routes is essential. An exit route provides a continuous and unobstructed path from any point in the workplace to a place of safety.
An exit route is made up of three key components:
- Exit Access: The portion of the exit route that leads from the work area to the actual exit.
- Exit: The section generally separated from other areas to provide a protected path for safe travel to the exit discharge.
- Exit Discharge: The final segment of the route that leads directly outside or to a safe area such as a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the outdoors.