Complete Story
06/08/2026
Decoded: Egress Terminology – I Dig Hardware - from Allegion's Lori Greene.
Lori Greene’s linked article explains that calculating egress width from occupant load is only part of meeting code - the quantity and placement of exit doors are also controlled by how the means of egress is configured and by several distance and remoteness limits. It defines the three parts of means of egress (exit access, exit, and exit discharge) with simple school-based examples and clarifies related terms such as travel distance, common path of egress travel, and dead-end corridors.
This article also explains how travel distance, common path length, dead-end corridor limits, and required remoteness between exits affect the number and location of egress doors, including differences for sprinklered versus unsprinklered buildings and small distinctions between the IBC and NFPA 101. This introductory overview is based on the 2024 editions of the IBC and NFPA 101, read the full article for more info!
