Section 7.1.10/Means of Egress Reliability and Maintenance
NFPA 101 Section 7.1.10 requires means of egress to remain continuous, unobstructed, and available at all times when the building is occupied, prohibiting locks, barriers, and obstructions.
The means of egress must be continuously maintained free of all obstructions or impediments to full instant use in the case of fire or other emergency. No lock or fastener may prevent free egress from the inside of any building, except in health care (Group I-2), detention (Group I-3), and educational (Group E) occupancies where specific delayed-egress and controlled-access provisions apply. Mirrors or decorative materials must not be placed on exit doors or adjacent to exit doors in a manner that could confuse the direction of exit travel. Exit access, exits, and exit discharge must not pass through rooms that can be locked or that limit travel to a single path. The means of egress must be available for use at all times during periods of occupancy, including during setup, teardown, and cleanup periods for assembly occupancies. Furnishings, decorations, or other objects must not obstruct exits, exit access, or exit discharge.
Why this section exists
The means of egress only protects occupants if it is actually usable during an emergency. History is filled with fatal fire incidents caused by locked exit doors, chained panic hardware, and obstructed exit corridors. The 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire (492 deaths) involved exit doors locked from the outside and a revolving door that jammed. The 2003 Station nightclub fire (100 deaths) involved exit doors that were not immediately obvious and exit paths that were obstructed. This section establishes the fundamental principle that egress paths must be available instantly, without special knowledge, tools, or effort, whenever the building is occupied.
What plan reviewers look for
Plan reviewers check the door hardware schedule to verify exit doors have panic hardware or fire exit hardware that allows free egress with a single operation. They check that egress paths do not pass through rooms subject to locking (storage rooms, offices). They verify exit corridors maintain the required width without furniture encroachment. For means of egress width calculations, they confirm the calculated width is maintained free of obstructions throughout the egress path. For delayed-egress locks (where permitted), they verify the lock complies with Section 7.2.1.6.1 including the 15-second or 30-second delay limit, alarm initiation, and automatic release on fire alarm activation.