Fires can spread fast; by the time the fire and rescue services arrive on scene, entire buildings may be engulfed in flame. As such, in the event of a fire, people need to be able to evacuate the premises swiftly and safely via well-planned fire escapes.

In workplaces, where fire risks are myriad and building layouts may be sprawling and complex, it’s particularly crucial to establish effective escape routes to protect the lives and wellbeing of workers.

In this article, we explain employers’ responsibilities in relation to fire escape regulation, so you understand precisely what you need to do to attain compliance and safeguard your people.

The 3 elements of safe evacuation during a fire

Effective and compliant fire escape planning considers a pipeline of interconnected elements rather than a single solution. These three elements are:

• Fire escape route
• Fire escape
• Fire exit

Each plays a distinct role in ensuring people can move quickly from danger to safety. Let’s break them down.

What is a fire escape route?

A fire escape route is the designated pathway through a building that guides occupants to safety in the event of a fire. It typically comprises internal routes such as corridors, stairwells, and fire-rated doors, all leading towards a final exit point.

To be effective, escape routes must:

• Be unobstructed, well-lit, and clearly signed.
• Allow for the fast movement of all occupants, including those with reduced mobility.
• Connect to a place of ultimate safety outside the building (usually via a fire exit).

Employers must ensure that escape routes are kept clear at all times, regularly maintained, and supported with visible signage. In many workplaces, additional equipment such as evacuation chairs or ramps will be needed to ensure accessibility for disabled staff and visitors.

What is a fire escape?

A fire escape is the physical structure that enables people to exit a building during a fire. In modern workplaces, this is usually an internal staircase that forms part of the protected escape route. In older buildings, it may also include external staircases or ladders attached to the building’s exterior.

Fire escapes must be:

• Constructed from fire-resistant materials.
• Wide enough to allow safe passage for the expected number of occupants.
• Properly maintained to remain in good working condition.

Where external fire escapes are present, they must be designed and positioned to be easily and safely accessible from designated escape routes inside the building.

What is a fire exit?

A fire exit is the final point of egress that leads occupants from the escape route to a place of safety outside the building. Typically, this is a dedicated exit door that opens directly to the outside or to a protected area leading outdoors.

Fire exits must:

• Open immediately and without the use of a key or electronic fob.
• Be clearly marked with illuminated signage.
• Lead directly to a safe space, such as an assembly point, away from the building and any potential fire hazards.

Employers are legally responsible for ensuring fire exits remain unlocked, accessible, and unobstructed whenever a building is occupied.

UK fire escape regulations explained

In the UK, fire escapes and emergency exits are governed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO). This legislation places legal responsibility on the “responsible person” (typically the employer, building owner, or occupier) to ensure that staff, visitors, and other building users can evacuate safely in the event of a fire.

The FSO sets out a number of key requirements:

• Routes and exits must lead directly to safety – Escape routes should be as short, direct, and simple as possible, taking people quickly from danger to a safe place outside the building.
• Adequate number and size of exits – The number, location, and dimensions of escape routes and exits must be suitable for the size and use of the premises, and for the maximum number of people likely to be inside at any one time.
• Doors must allow safe evacuation – Emergency doors must:
  • Open in the direction of travel (towards the escape).
  • Never be sliding or revolving.
  • Be immediately openable without the use of a key, code, or card.
• Clear, unobstructed routes – Escape routes and exits must be kept free of obstructions, locked doors, or flammable materials that could slow evacuation.
• Clear signage – All emergency exits and routes must be marked with compliant, highly visible fire safety signs.
• Emergency lighting – Where escape routes and exits rely on lighting, emergency lighting of sufficient brightness must be installed so that evacuation remains possible during a power failure.

Failure to comply with these requirements can result in serious legal consequences, as well as placing lives at risk.

Specific fire escape requirements you need to know

Beyond the general regulations, there are more detailed rules that employers must comply with. These relate to particular building features and evacuation aids:

• Fire escape windows – In some buildings, escape windows may form part of the evacuation strategy. These must open fully, be easy to operate, and allow quick escape to a place of safety.
• Fire exit door hinges – Doors must be fitted with durable, correctly positioned hinges that enable them to open smoothly in the direction of escape.
• Floors, corridors, and stairs – Surfaces along escape routes must be slip-resistant, even when wet, and kept free from obstructions. Stairs should be wide enough for safe evacuation and constructed from non-combustible materials.

Types of fire doors explained

Fire doors are a critical part of any workplace fire safety strategy. They not only support evacuation but also play a vital role in slowing the spread of flames and smoke. Broadly, there are two key types of fire doors that UK businesses must understand:

Internal fire doors

Internal fire doors are designed to compartmentalise a building, restricting the spread of fire and smoke between rooms and along escape routes. By holding back flames for a set period (commonly 30 or 60 minutes, depending on their rating), they provide crucial time for occupants to evacuate safely.

To be compliant, internal fire doors must:

• Protect escape routes by resisting fire and smoke.
• Open in the direction of escape and remain unlocked while the building is in use.
• Be fitted with appropriate hardware and hinges that correspond to their fire rating.
• Undergo regular maintenance checks to ensure they close properly and remain effective despite everyday wear and tear.

Employers must train staff not to wedge fire doors open or obstruct them, as this undermines their ability to save lives during an emergency.

Final fire exit doors

Unlike internal fire doors, final fire exit doors are not designed to contain flames or smoke. Their sole purpose is to allow people to leave the building as quickly and easily as possible.

Key requirements include:

• Outward opening – to enable smooth evacuation even under pressure from large crowds.
• Panic hardware – such as push bars, which allow the door to be opened immediately in an emergency without the use of keys or codes.
• Correct sizing – door width must be adequate for the number of occupants to avoid bottlenecks and crushing.
• Dual functionality – while doors must allow free exit from the inside, they may be fitted with secure access devices to prevent unauthorised entry from outside.
• Clear identification – they should be clearly signed, often with illuminated “Fire exit – Keep clear” signage, as they may not form part of normal day-to-day routes through the building.

Final exit doors must remain unlocked, unobstructed, and fully operational at all times when a building is occupied. Failure to comply is one of the most common breaches identified during fire safety inspections.

How to calculate how many fire exits your business premises needs

There is no single “one size fits all” number of fire exits required for every building. Instead, the correct number depends on a combination of factors including the size, use, layout, and occupancy levels of your premises.

The law requires that exits be “adequate” for the people inside, which means your fire risk assessment must consider the following:

1. Size, layout and occupancy

• Occupancy numbers – The more people inside, the more exits you’ll need. For example, a nightclub and a library may be the same size, but because nightclubs typically host more people (and with added risk factors such as alcohol), additional exits will be required.
• Layout – Complex buildings with long corridors, multiple floors, or obstructed sightlines need more exits so that escape routes are short, simple, and unlikely to be blocked.
• Use of the building – High-risk environments (factories, kitchens, entertainment venues) may need extra exits to account for the likelihood of fire hazards and the ability of occupants to respond quickly.

2. Travel distances

Guidance sets maximum travel distances people should cover to reach a fire exit. As a rule of thumb:

• 60 metres – where there are multiple escape routes and low fire risk.
• 25 metres – where there are multiple escape routes and higher fire risk.
• 25 metres – where only one escape route is available, and fire risk is low.
• 12 metres – where only one escape route is available, and fire risk is high.

If travel distances exceed these limits, more fire exits or protected escape routes will be required.

3. Exit widths

Exit doors must be wide enough to allow the safe passage of all occupants without causing dangerous bottlenecks. The minimum widths are:

Maximum number of people	Minimum door width (mm)
60	750
110	850
220	1050
More than 220	5mm per person

Note: Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) may require wider doorways to ensure accessibility. Gaps between 850mm and 1050mm should be avoided.

4. Repurposed or altered buildings

If your building has been repurposed (e.g. from warehouse to event venue), additional exits may be needed to reflect increased occupancy or new hazards. In these cases, compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Equality Act 2010, and the Building Regulations 2010 must be factored in.

5. New guidance

In March 2024, updates to Approved Document B clarified additional requirements for residential buildings (e.g. flats above 18m requiring multiple staircases).

While not directly aimed at most workplaces, these changes reinforce the importance of multiple, well-distributed exits wherever possible.

4-point fire escape checklist for everyday operation

Even the best-designed escape routes are useless if people cannot see them and follow them under pressure. In an emergency, stress and smoke make it harder for people to recall directions, remember which door they came through, or choose the right route to safety. Clear, consistent signage and reliable lighting are therefore essential to every fire evacuation strategy.

1. Ensure fire doors are unlocked

Fire exit doors must never be locked while the building is occupied. They should open in the direction of travel and be fitted with compliant panic hardware so anyone can leave quickly in an emergency. A locked fire door could cost lives.

2. Fire routes and doors must be free from obstructions

Corridors, stairwells, and any other sections of the fire escape route should be clear at all times, and fire doors should never be propped open or obstructed.

Oftentimes, particularly in more cramped buildings, workers may consider using fire escape zones to momentarily store stock until they find time to process it. This needs to be avoided, as even temporary obstructions, regardless of size, can be a serious obstacle in the event of a fire emergency.

It’s also crucial to remember that fire escape routes and exits need to be suitable for all potential users. For instance, if members of your workforce are differently abled, they may be unable to quickly manoeuvre around boxes, trolleys, or other items left in escape paths. Any obstruction could prevent wheelchair users, people with mobility aids, or even children from reaching safety in time.

This guidance relates to Article 14 Section 2 – (b) of the fire escape regulations, “In the event of danger, it must be possible for persons to evacuate the premises as quickly and safely as possible.”

3. Make sure fire escape routes are visible and everyone knows the exits

Occupants should always know where the nearest fire exit is. This can be as simple as pointing them out during staff training, inductions, or visitor briefings. In high-pressure situations, people rely on memory and instinct, so the more familiar they are with the exits, the faster they can escape.

Signage also plays a major role in ensuring everyone on the premises can find the nearest fire escape route during an emergency.

In the UK, fire exit signage must comply with British Standard 5499. Signs should:

• Be green with white pictograms (running man and arrow) to indicate the direction of travel.
• Be consistently placed along escape routes so that the next sign is visible from the last — ensuring a clear line of sight all the way to the final exit.
• Clearly mark doors, corridors, stairwells, and assembly points.

Consider whether signs are still visible in low light or smoke — photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) signs and low-level lighting strips can make all the difference.

4. Keep fire escape routes well lit

Escape routes must remain visible even if normal lighting fails, which is why emergency lighting is a legal requirement in most UK workplaces. Under RRFSO Article 14, Section 2(h), emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be fitted with lighting of adequate intensity in case of power failure.

Emergency lighting is a separate backup system that activates automatically during:

• Power cuts or electrical failures.
• Fire alarms being triggered.
• Any other situation where mains lighting is lost.

It is powered by large batteries, typically designed to last up to 24 hours, ensuring people can safely navigate to exits even during extended outages.

Emergency lights should be installed:

• Along escape routes, including corridors and stairwells.
• Above fire doors and final exit doors.
• Near firefighting equipment, such as extinguishers or call points. Read our guide to the different types of fire extinguishers for help choosing the right one for your business.
• At any point where a change of direction could cause confusion during evacuation.

To remain compliant, emergency lighting must be:

• Function-tested monthly (a short test to check bulbs and controls).
• Fully duration-tested every 6 months by a competent professional (usually a 3-hour test to confirm the batteries will last for the required time).
• Maintained, repaired, or replaced immediately if faults are found.

How often should you check your fire escape route?

The frequency of checks depends on the size, use, and complexity of your building, but in every workplace, regular inspections are vital to ensure escape routes remain safe and compliant.

Daily or weekly fire escape route checks

While not a legal requirement, many organisations carry out simple visual checks on a daily or weekly basis. These quick inspections take less than a minute and should confirm that:

• Corridors, stairways, and fire exit doors are clear of obstructions.
• Fire doors are not wedged open and operate correctly.
• Signage remains visible and undamaged.
• Fire exit doors are unlocked and ready for use whenever the building is occupied.

These checks provide peace of mind and reduce the likelihood of non-compliance being discovered during a formal inspection.

Annual fire risk assessment

By law, employers must complete a fire risk assessment at least annually, or sooner if there are significant changes to the building, its layout, or how it is used. This assessment should cover:

• The condition and accessibility of all fire escape routes.
• The visibility of fire exit signs.
• The functionality of fire exit doors, panic hardware, and emergency lighting.
• The removal of combustible materials or obstructions from escape routes.

Cardinus delivers BAFE Gold-certified non-destructive fire risk assessments for all property types, UK-wide, as well as destructive assessments where necessary.

Not sure what the different fire risk assessments are about? Find out in our guide to fire risk assessment types.

After changes or renovations

If a building has undergone renovations, layout changes, or a shift in use (e.g. office converted into a training centre), the responsible person must immediately reassess escape routes. This ensures they remain compliant with UK fire escape regulations and are sufficient for the new risks and occupancy levels.

Staff awareness

Checks are only effective if people know how to respond in an emergency. Employers should ensure:

• All staff are familiar with escape routes.
• New employees and visitors are given a fire safety induction.
• Fire drills are carried out regularly so that escape routes are tested under real conditions.

Manage fire risk with Cardinus

By understanding the definitions, regulations, and practical requirements around fire exits and escape routes, UK businesses can ensure they are compliant and, more importantly, that everyone on their premises can evacuate safely in an emergency.

Ensuring compliance, however, can be complex. That’s where professional support makes a real difference. Our fire safety services, including comprehensive fire risk assessments and online training, can help you identify hazards, assess your escape routes, and implement practical solutions tailored to your building and workforce.

Contact us today to ensure your business meets UK fire escape regulations.