1910.36(g): Exit Route Height and Width
Employers must make sure exit routes meet minimum height and width. Ceilings must be at least seven feet six inches high, with no projection lower than six feet eight inches from the floor, and exit access must be at least 28 inches wide at all points. Exit routes must be wide enough for the maximum permitted occupant load, and objects must not narrow them below the minimum.
Key takeaways
- 1910.36(g) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart E).
- OSHA cited it 408 times in the last 3 years, in 401 inspections, with $1,328,994 in current penalties.
- 3 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: PR (49), VA (29), AZ (29).
- Related part: 1910.36(g)(2) (359 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.36(g) ("An exit route must meet minimum height and width requirements") is one requirement inside 1910.36 Design and construction requirements for exit routes, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart E). It includes 4 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(g) An exit route must meet minimum height and width requirements. 408 citations
(1) The ceiling of an exit route must be at least seven feet six inches (2.3 m) high. Any projection from the ceiling must not reach a point less than six feet eight inches (2.0 m) from the floor. Open (g)(1) 9 citations
(2) An exit access must be at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points. Where there is only one exit access leading to an exit or exit discharge, the width of the exit and exit discharge must be at least equal to the width of the exit access. Open (g)(2) 359 citations
(3) The width of an exit route must be sufficient to accommodate the maximum permitted occupant load of each floor served by the exit route.
(4) Objects that project into the exit route must not reduce the width of the exit route to less than the minimum width requirements for exit routes. Open (g)(4) 40 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.36.
Injuries linked to this rule
3 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.36(g).
At 9:40 a.m. on November 20, 2024, an employee was operating a forklift outside the cattle pens at the paunch pad area, dumping dry paunch (powder texture) ontothe floor. During this time, a subcontracted employee was operating a front-end loader in close proximity, loading paunch…
Full case list with employer, penalty, filters and download is part of OSHA Data (Purple Belt).
Unlock with Purple BeltWhere and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 24 |
| 2024 | 153 |
| 2025 | 151 |
| 2026 | 80 |
Top states: PR (49), VA (29), AZ (29), NJ (21), NY (20)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| DOLLAR TREE STORES, INC; STORE #4457 | ANNANDALE, VA | $92,245 |
| DOLLAR TREE INC | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $84,945 |
| DOLLAR TREE, INC. | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $68,825 |
| WALMART INC. | RENO, NV | $57,620 |
| TARGET CORPORATION | NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA | $53,000 |
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OSHA interpretation letters
- Termination of the January 2009 Corporate-Wide Settlement Agreement between United Parcel Service (UPS) and OSHA; Enforcement of 20 CFR 1910.37(a)(3) and 29 CFR 1910.36(g)(2) (2019-06-18)
- Exit route stairways that comply with the codes of the NFPA and the IFC (2018-06-20)
- Minimum width of exit routes; redesignation of 1910.1020. (2000-04-27)
- Exit route requirements as it relates to the widths of doorways into electrical equipment enclosures. (1993-11-15)
- Interpretation when height of exit route corridors are lower than specified. (1981-01-21)
- Exit Routes. (1978-11-27)
- Clarification of requirements that exit routes be maintained clear of all obstructions. (1976-02-17)
- Clarification of head room requirements for emergency doors and machine guarding. (1975-12-08)
- Interpretation for doorways not complying with exit route requirements. (1975-05-01)
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.36(g)(2) 359 citations
- 1910.36(g)(4) 40 citations
- 1910.36(g)(1) 9 citations
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Frequently asked questions
How high must an exit route ceiling be?
At least seven feet six inches (2.3 m), and no projection may reach lower than six feet eight inches (2.0 m) from the floor.
How wide must exit access be?
At least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points.
Can objects stick into an exit route?
Only if they do not reduce the width below the minimum width requirements.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.36 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-10-21
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.