Exit Doors and Hardware

Exit doors on each floor should be clearly labelled with proper signage. The doors should open out in the direction of exit to avoid hitting a person with vision loss. As with any door in a public space, emergency doors should never hinge so that they open into the path of travel.

The hardware should be installed between 800 and 1,100 mm from the finished floor.

Thresholds on exit doors should comply with the requirements specified in the section Exterior Doors. Thresholds should contrast in colour and brightness to their surroundings. Use tactile or textured flooring where possible to mark emergency exits so that the exits can be easily identified.

Exit door closures should be set up to provide a sweep duration of no less than five seconds from an open position of 90 degrees to a partially closed position of about 12 degrees. This will accommodate people who may walk at a slower pace.

The clear width of exit doors should be no less than 920 mm. Double doors that are an emergency exit should not have centre posts, except when centre posts are required by building codes to create and maintain smoke and flame barriers in a building.

Further information on door requirements is provided in the section Exterior Doors.