A fire escape is a fire exit that is external to a building.

A fire exit provides a means of escape from a structure in case of an emergency such as a fire. It is usually a strategically located (e.g. in a stairwell, hallway, or other likely place) outward opening door with a crash bar on it and with exit signs leading to it. The name is an obvious reference to when they're frequently used, however a fire exit can also be a main doorway in or out. A fire escape is a special kind of fire exit, mounted to the outside of a building. Download high resolution version (416x656, 50 KB)I took this picture. ... Download high resolution version (416x656, 50 KB)I took this picture. ... A crash bar is a mechanism for unlatching a door, consisting of a metal bar fixed horizontally to the front of the door and hinged. ... A well-designed fire exit sign should be easily seen, even if visibility is poor. ... A fire escape on the side of a building (this design is common in the United States). ...

Local building codes will often dictate the number of fire exits required for a building of a given size. This may include specifying the number of stairs. For any building bigger than a private house, modern codes invariable specify at least two sets of stairs. Furthermore the stairs are completely separate from each other. Some architects meet this requirement by housing two stairs in a "double helix" configuration where two stairs occupy the same floor space, intertwined. It may make no functional sense to have two stairs so close to each other, but it meets the requirements of the building codes. A building code is a set of laws that specify how buildings should be constructed. ... Stairs, staircase, stairway, flight of stairs are all names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps. ... The Double-Helix are an alien race in the Wing Commander science fiction series. ...

Knowing where the fire exits are in buildings you frequent can save your life. Some buildings, such as schools, have fire drills to practice using fire exits. Many disasters could have been prevented if people had known where fire escapes were, and if fire exits had not been blocked. For example, in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, some of the fire exits inside the building were inaccessible, while others were locked. A fire drill is a method of practicing for a real fire in a building. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks (also referred to as 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States of America carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, in which hijackers took control of four U.S. domestic commercial airliners. ... The World Trade Center in New York City (sometimes informally referred to as the WTC) was a complex of seven buildings designed by Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki and leased by Larry Silverstein from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey around a central plaza, near the south...

It many countries, it is required that all new commercial buildings include well-marked fire exits. Older buildings must be retrofitted with fire escapes. In countries where fire exits are not standard, fires will often result in a much greater loss of life. A fire escape on the side of a building (this design is common in the United States). ...

Well designed fire exit signs are necessary for fire exits to be effective. In the United States fire escape signs usually display the word "EXIT" in large, well-lit, green or red letters. Sometimes an arrow is displayed as well. In the European Union, fire exit signs use pictorial symbols to convey their meaning. Some signs are self-illuminated, using tritium powered traser light sources. Traser is the generic name for glass tubes with a phosphor layer in them and Tritium (a Hydrogen isotope) gas inside the tube. ...

In the United Kingdom, under the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, signs are required to bear a picture or symbol that clearly illustrates the sign. Occupational safety and health is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human and facility resources in the workplace. ... Warning signs, such as this one, can improve safety awareness. ... Sign can denote any of the following: Look up sign on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Signaling, or signal, may mean: Look up signal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Floor plans showing exit paths

• In many places, office buildings have floor plans on display showing exit paths in red and regular hallways in black. Unfortunately, color-blind persons often cannot distinguish dark red from black.

External links

Patents

• US2,724,258 -- Fire exit lock

Information

• Information on fire exit signs in Britain