Top OSHA 1910.36(b)(3) Violations: When Single Exit Routes Fail the Safety Test

OSHA's 1910.36(b)(3) allows a single exit route only if employee numbers, building size, occupancy, or layout ensure safe emergency evacuation. Sounds straightforward, right? Yet, it's a frequent citation because workplaces stretch this rule thin, risking lives and hefty fines.

Violation #1: Oversized Buildings with Single Exits

The biggest culprit? Warehouses and manufacturing floors exceeding safe thresholds for one-way-out designs. OSHA data from 2022 shows egress violations in the top 10 cited standards, with 1910.36 often nailed for buildings over 10,000 sq ft or housing 10+ employees per story without dual paths.

I've walked sites where a 20,000 sq ft shop had one door at the far end—stacked pallets blocking visibility, no less. Regs demand two exits when square footage or headcount hits limits; ignoring this invites chaos in a fire or chem spill.

Violation #2: High-Occupancy Spaces Ignoring Travel Distance

Picture a bustling assembly line with 25 workers funneled through one 50-foot-away exit. 1910.36 caps travel distance at 200 feet max for single exits in sprinklers-equipped buildings, half without. Common in retrofitted factories: occupancy spikes, but exits don't.

• Assembly areas cramming 15+ without secondary routes.
• Offices turned storage, blocking alternate paths.
• Mezzanines treated as "small," despite 30-foot drops to the lone door.

Pro tip: Map evacuation times—we've clocked drills where single-exit spots took 4+ minutes, far beyond safe.

Violation #3: Poor Layout Assessments

Workplace arrangement is key, but many skip the eval. Dead-end corridors over 20 feet? Single stair in multi-level? Citations spike here during OSHA walkthroughs.

In one audit I led, a California fab shop's L-shaped floor created a bottleneck; flames would've trapped half the shift. Regs reference NFPA 101 for guidance—transparent layouts or low hazards only qualify single exits.

How to Bulletproof Your Compliance

Audit ruthlessly: Count heads, measure distances, simulate evac. Tools like Pro Shield's JHA tracking flag risks early. Reference OSHA's full 1910.36 text and eTool for egress.

Short-term fix: Interim barriers or signage won't cut it—engineer dual paths. Long-term? Balance pros (cost savings) against cons (fines averaging $15K per willful violation, per 2023 stats). Results vary by site, but proactive beats penalties.

Stay sharp—egress isn't optional; it's your workforce's lifeline.