AEC definitions
A means of egress is the continuous path people use to leave a building in an emergency, from any occupied point to a public way. The building code divides it into exit access, the exit itself, and the exit discharge. Width, number of exits, and travel distance are calculated from occupant load, not drawn to taste.
Definition
Exit access is the path inside the tenant space or floor to the exit. The exit is the protected portion, such as a rated stair or a horizontal exit. Exit discharge is the path from the exit to the public way. Interrupting any part, with storage, a locked door the code does not allow, or a renovation that lengthens travel, breaks the egress. Accessible means of egress is a related requirement for people who cannot use stairs. The plans examiner checks egress on the code plan. The inspector checks that the built path still matches.
In depth
Moving a furniture layout usually affects exit access. Cutting a new opening in a stair enclosure affects the exit. A patio that does not reach the street affects discharge. The remedy depends on which part broke.
Exit passageways and horizontal exits are specific tools. Do not label a corridor an exit unless it meets the exit rules.
Occupant load per space, number of exits required, width, common path, and travel distance belong on a code plan. A pretty life-safety diagram without numbers will be sent back.
Doors, stairs, and corridors have different width factors. Using one factor for all three mis-sizes the stair.
The certificate of occupancy assumes the path stays clear. Storage in a stair, a latch on a delayed-egress door that was not permitted, and a remodel that adds a room without a second exit are inspection failures.
Furnishings in an assembly space can push occupant load and aisle width. The operations plan has to match the permit.
Areas of refuge, elevator emergency operation, and accessible routes out are not optional add-ons in codes that require them.
An exit stair everyone else can use may not satisfy accessible means of egress by itself.
Examples
The code plan shows occupant load, two exits, and travel distance within the limit. The stair is the exit. The lobby to the street is the discharge.
A tenant adds a storage cage in the corridor. The inspector flags the exit access width.
A renovation lengthens the common path past the limit. The plan adds a second exit door before resubmittal.
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