How to Secure Your Rooftop Exit Routes

No one should have to worry about falling from height when fleeing a hazardous situation.  This could happen in an emergency if your rooftop is your secondary exit route and you don't have fall protection.

According to OSHA, an exit route is a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from any point within a workplace to a place of safety (including refuge areas).

“Why is the exit route on my roof?” you might ask.

Most commercial buildings require you to have 2-4 exit routes for each story or occupied roof. Depending on the layout of your building, this may require you to include a rooftop in your exit route.

If you’re reading this, then you’re probably one of three people.

1. You need an alternative exit route and you’ve never considered your roof as a viable option.
2. You know a roof can be an option, but you have no idea how to make that work.
3. You’re all set, but you are curious and want to know more.

Whoever you are, by the end of this article, you will be satisfied.

What Codes Apply to Rooftop Exit Routes?

There are three codes that you need to pay attention to when designing a rooftop exit route.

OSHA is the primary organization that you need to heed when it comes to anything related to workplace safety. They cover requirements for exit routes, duty to have fall protection, and fall protection practices and criteria. Here are the specific codes to make it easy for you:

• 1910.28 - Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection
• 1910.29 - Fall protection systems and falling object protection - criteria and practices
• 1910.36 - Design and construction requirements for exit routes
• 1910.37 - Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes

The International Building Code (IBC) and the International Fire Code (IFC) are the next two regulations that you need to know. These regulations are models that are adopted by most local jurisdictions. It’s vital that you check your municipalities’ codes, but this will give you a strong foundation assuming that there are differences.

What are the Requirements for Rooftop Exit Routes?

This is where it gets interesting. There is no specific section in either code that is clearly defined as a “rooftop exit route”. Because of this, we need to combine the codes together to find the answer.

It’s important to understand that we are talking about the safety of the portion of your exit route that is on the roof. This will not be an exhaustive list to review your entire exit route safety plan.

The following list of requirements will include parts from each of the codes above. I will only reference a specific code if it is necessary for clarification.

• An exit route should have a slip-resistant surface.
• Any changes of elevation that are less than 12 inches need ramps.
• The exit route cannot be interrupted by a building or other element unless it is apart of the exit route and complies with the rest of the code.
• Doors should not reduce the width of the route by 7 inches when fully open.
• Doors should never reduce the exit route by more than ½ in any position. (make sure to remember this when placing guardrail near doors)
• Stairs need a width of 44 inches or 36 inches if occupancy is less than 50.
• Guardrails –
  • Required to protect unenclosed sides if a hazard exists
  • Shall be 42 inches in height above the walking surface.
  • Shall not have an opening that allows a 4-inch sphere to pass through at any point of the guardrail.
  • Shall be able to withstand a linear load of 50 pounds per linear foot and a concentrated load of 200 pounds.
• The outdoor exit route must be reasonably straight and have smooth, solid, substantially level walkways

It’s important to remember that this is a combination of codes and that you should check with your local municipality to determine what you need for a safe rooftop exit route.

How To Protect Your Rooftop Exit Routes

Now that you understand how to comply with code, it’s time to dig into the solutions that will help you provide that safe means of egress.

Rooftop Guardrail for Exit Routes

The first solution you need will be guardrail. There are several rooftop guardrails that you can use to provide a safe access path. This includes options that can mount in the surface of your roof and options that can sit on top of your roof.

Exit routes on rooftops are often considered after the roof is installed. That’s why KeeGuard Rooftop Guardrail is the ideal solution for rooftop guardrails. It is non-penetrating, so you don’t have to worry about leaks or voiding your warranties. It can also be designed to meet the IBC requirements of 50 pounds per linear foot without adding a ton of extra weight. It can be modified at a later date if you need to change the route or add an access point for workers.

KeeGuard works well with elevated stone pavers or decks that you install on the roof. The weights can be designed to go under the pavers to improve the aesthetic look.

Rooftop Walkways for Exit Routes

It’s important to provide a slip-resistant surface for your walkway. Rooftop pads can provide this sort of protection on flat roofs. However, that’s not always the case. This is where Kee Walk Rooftop Walkway can help.

There are many reasons why a walkway would be best for your emergency exit route.

• Ballasted roofs (loose stone)
• Weather concerns (standing water or freezing conditions)
• Environmental concerns (debris from exhaust or potential chemicals)
• Metal roof

Or, you may want a walkway because you want to have the best possible solution for your exit route.

Kee Walk can be equipped with a guardrail system to provide the code required safety. It can tie into crossover stairs, providing continuous and uninterrupted guardrail protection and walking surface.

Crossover Stairs for Rooftop Exit Routes

Sometimes the only path to an exit has structural obstacles in the way. This is not a compliant option and so you may need to add a safe means of crossing over such obstacles, like conduit or ductwork. A rooftop crossover platform is ideal for this application. It will provide stairs and a flat level surface.

A quick best practice tip; paint the nose of your stairs yellow or some other easily noticeable color so that users can spot the stairs during an emergency.

Safety Gates for Rooftop Exit Routes

If you need an access point from your exit route to the rest of your roof, then a self-closing safety gate is what you need. Even though the exit route is closed off by guardrail throughout the whole route, you still have HVACs and other rooftop units that need maintenance. It’s just easier to use the same rooftop access to provide your maintenance staff with the necessary means of doing their work.

Another safety tip, find a way to lock these safety gates so that someone doesn’t inadvertently cross into the hazard zone of the roof in the fervor of escape.

Roof Hatch Safety for Exit Routes

If you have an approved roof hatch as a part of your exit route, then you will need a hatch guardrail. OSHA says that every hatch needs to have a guardrail on all sides, with one of those sides being a safety gate for access. Often, the door of the hatch acts as one of these barriers. After all, if you fall into it, you’re just closing the hatch.

Another benefit of using our Kee Hatch Guardrail is that it connects seamlessly with KeeGuard and Kee Walk with guardrail.

Wrapping Up

There’s a lot to consider but know that you’re not alone. We have a team of safety experts who can help you sort through the code, the products, and your plan to help create a safe rooftop exit route.

At the end of the day, it’s about getting people home safely and we can help you with that.