What floor marking can I use for emergency exits and evacuation routes?

Floor markings provide many benefits for occupational safety and health in virtually every industry. One of the most important of those benefits is safety improvement. For example, marking floors can help businesses better identify emergency exits and emergency routes.

OSHA's egress regulation is 1910.36 - Design and construction requirements for exit routes. This is a standard you must become familiar with to avoid citations and establish an emergency protocol for your facility! While floor marking isn't necessarily required, it is an enormous help to your employees, enabling them to get out faster and do so safely.

Stay Consistent with Floor Tape Colors and Patterns

Evacuation route floor tape must be a consistent color or pattern. No other markings in the facility should use the color scheme. Consistency will help avoid any confusion when people are exiting the building.

Whether the facility marking plan uses permanent aisles or other simpler aisle markings, you must remember that when there is a fire or other physical hazards present, people need to find exit routes and do so quickly.

Create Clear Emergency Route Pathways

One of the most important ideas to remember when planning to use evacuation route floor markings is determining which direction people will need to go.

Use shapes like floor marking footprints or arrows to direct workers or visitors toward the nearest exit. If there are multiple exits, make sure signs clearly mark the closest exit so people can escape the area quickly as possible.

Prioritize Visibility in Visual Communication

Many emergency situations run into difficulties with seeing where people are going. The power may have gone out, or there may even be smoke present. Using floor markings that are easy to see can help save the lives of those trying to escape. There are many types of floor marking tapes and other markings that can improve visibility.

Glow-in-the-dark tape can help workers see when the lights go out. Reflective tape can also be a good solution. Even just using a bright color can be enough to ensure those trying to evacuate will be able to see where they are going.

Floor Marking Tape Materials

It is an excellent idea to apply floor marking tape at each exit. Traction tape specifically will provide additional traction to those passing through. Helpful during an emergency and convenient for everyday facility use. Any additional traction from floor markings can help prevent slips and falls, an equally dangerous hazard.

If you are unsure about what kind of tape you need in your facility, try using the floor tape finder tool made by Creative Safety Supply! Answer a few facility-related questions, and we can help you pick out the best tape for your unique environment.