Standard Guide for Evacuation Route Diagrams (Withdrawn 2011)

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Evacuation route diagrams are informational signs used to advise building occupants, be they employees, residents, patients, or visitors, of the best route(s) to egress the building, or to temporary shelter from their location. It is a pictorial representation of the building/floor layout showing the closest such route from a given point in the building. This standard will provide guidelines that can be used to provide uniformity in the development and use of these signs. Consistency in design and placement of these signs can serve to increase familiarity and comprehension as well as reduce confusion, thus improving the ability of occupants to egress from the facility more easily and quickly in an emergency.
Occupancies where standardization of ERDs would be most beneficial include those which frequently have occupants unfamiliar with the facility, such as hotels, places of assembly, offices, healthcare facilities, and multiple occupancy buildings.
SCOPE
1.1 This standard is intended to provide minimum guidelines for the design and placement of evacuation route diagrams (ERDs) used in buildings. It covers the evacuation of building occupants when directed by emergency response authorities in emergencies such as fire, windstorm, earthquake, hazardous materials release, and other events anticipated in the geographic area of the facility.
Note 1—Evacuation from the facility is not appropriate in all emergencies. For example, a tornado may require sheltering within the building. This diagram standard is intended to be used in conjunction with a facility emergency plan and instructions on appropriate actions from building management, or emergency response authorities, or both.

General Information

Status
Historical
Publication Date
09-Nov-2002
Current Stage
Ref Project

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ASTM E2238-02 - Standard Guide for Evacuation Route Diagrams (Withdrawn 2011)
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NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation:E2238–02
Standard Guide for
Evacuation Route Diagrams
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2238; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 3. Significance and Use
1.1 This standard is intended to provide minimum guide- 3.1 Evacuation route diagrams are informational signs used
lines for the design and placement of evacuation route dia- to advise building occupants, be they employees, residents,
grams (ERDs) used in buildings. It covers the evacuation of patients, or visitors, of the best route(s) to egress the building,
building occupants when directed by emergency response or to temporary shelter from their location. It is a pictorial
authorities in emergencies such as fire, windstorm, earthquake, representation of the building/floor layout showing the closest
hazardous materials release, and other events anticipated in the such route from a given point in the building. This standard
geographic area of the facility. will provide guidelines that can be used to provide uniformity
in the development and use of these signs. Consistency in
NOTE 1—Evacuation from the facility is not appropriate in all emer-
design and placement of these signs can serve to increase
gencies. For example, a tornado may require sheltering within the
familiarity and comprehension as well as reduce confusion,
building.This diagram standard is intended to be used in conjunction with
thus improving the ability of occupants to egress from the
a facility emergency plan and instructions on appropriate actions from
building management, or emergency response authorities, or both.
facility more easily and quickly in an emergency.
3.2 Occupancies where standardization of ERDs would be
2. Referenced Documents
most beneficial include those which frequently have occupants
2.1 ASTM Standards:
unfamiliar with the facility, such as hotels, places of assembly,
E2072 Specification for Photoluminescent (Phosphores-
offices, healthcare facilities, and multiple occupancy buildings.
cent) Safety Markings
4. Terminology
2.2 Other Standards:
NFPA 101 Life Safety Codet (Safety to Life from Fire in
4.1 Definitions:
Buildings and Structures)
4.1.1 area of refuge—An area that is either (1) a story in a
UL 924 Standard for Emergency Lighting and Power
building where the building is protected throughout by an
Equipment
approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system and has not
ICC/ANSI A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable
less than two accessible rooms or spaces separated from each
Buildings and Facilities
other by smoke-resisting partitions; or (2) a space located in a
path of travel leading to a public way that is protected from the
effects of fire, either by means of separation from other spaces
in the same building or by virtue of location, thereby permit-
This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee E34 on Occupational
ting a delay in egress travel from any level.
Health and Safety and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E34.40 on
Hazard Communications.
NOTE 2—An area of refuge is intended for use by impaired persons
Current edition approved November 10, 2002. Published January 2003. DOI:
awaiting rescue by trained emergency personnel in the event of fire. It is
10.1520/E2238-02.
not necessarily designed for use in emergencies requiring the use of
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
substantial construction, such as windstorm.
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
4.1.2 assembly points—Area(s) outside of the building that
the ASTM website.
has been predetermined as a meeting point for building
Available from National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch
Park, Quincy, MA 02269-9101.
occupants to gather and be accounted.
Available from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Corporate Progress, 333
4.1.3 path of egress—The way(s) out of a building, consist-
Pfingsten Rd., Northbrook, IL 60062.
ing of the exit access, exit, and exit discharge.
Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
4th Floor, New York, NY 10036.
4.1.4 dead end—A path that leads to no exit.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
E2238–02
5. Format and Content 5.1.2 Color. Optimally, signs should be provided in color to
more easily distinguish primary and secondary routes.
5.1 Format. The overall format of ERDs should be simple.
Tobequicklyreadandunderstoodbythoseunfamiliarwiththe 5.1.3 Current Location. The current location should be
building layout, ERDs should contain only the information
indicated by a solid red circle at least ⁄4 in. in diameter, and
necessaryfortheoccupanttobecomeorientedtoandlocatethe
labeled “YOU ARE HERE” in capital letters.
egress path(s) from their location. The diagram should show
5.1.4 Exits. Exits should be marked by a rectangle marked
the closest (primary) egress path and an alternate (secondary)
“EXIT”inredcapitalletters.Theprimarypathofegressshould
egress path.
be
...

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