Egress marking kits provide an effective and straightforward way to improve safety in industrial environments, such as manufacturing facilities and warehouses. These kits are easy to install, requiring minimal preparation or maintenance. As part of a comprehensive emergency evacuation strategy, they help improve safety by offering clear visual cues. When combined with other safety measures, egress markings help support efficient evacuations.
What Are Egress Kits?
Egress marking kits include pre-cut strips of high-performance, puzzle-cut industrial floor tape designed to apply to the floor to mark areas along and leading to emergency exits, preventing the need for painting visual cues or measuring and cutting each piece. Our kits are available in your choice of vinyl or Superior Mark® tape in yellow, red, white, or yellow-and-black hazard stripe.
Each egress marking kit includes:
- Border Tape: Longer strips to designate the outer border of a standard 3’ x 50’ egress marking, including two 3-foot strips for the short edge and two 50-foot strips for the long edge.
- Diagonal Tape: Pre-cut strips of varying lengths to create the distinctive diagonal pattern within the egress marking, applied 24 inches apart.
Why Use Egress Markings?
While OSHA does not specifically dictate the use of egress marking kits, it does set requirements for exit routes and paths of egress. OSHA’s Means of Egress¹ standard states:
- 1926.34(a) General. In every building or structure exits shall be so arranged and maintained as to provide free and unobstructed egress from all parts of the building or structure at all times when it is occupied[…]
- 1926.34(b) Exit marking. Exits shall be marked by a readily visible sign. Access to exits shall be marked by readily visible signs in all cases where the exit or way to reach it is not immediately visible to the occupants.
- 1926.34(c) Maintenance and workmanship. Means of egress shall be continually maintained free of all obstructions or impediments to full instant use in the case of fire or other emergency.
Egress marking kits help meet these requirements by:
- Minimizing Obstructions: By clearly marking the egress path, floor markings remind staff to ensure no storage, equipment, or vehicles are improperly placed there to keep the evacuation route clear.
- Supplementing Other Visual Cues: An egress floor marking kit is meant to pair with other signage to clearly designate emergency exits and evacuation routes—the striped markings are not sufficient alone.
- Offering Convenience Versus Painting: There is no need to close the area, remove old paint, repaint, and wait for the area to dry—floor tape installs quickly and easily and the area can open again immediately after installation.
- Enhancing Visibility: The bold, contrasting egress markings make them highly visible, even in low-light conditions or smoke-filled environments.
- Supporting Efficient Evacuation: Well-marked egress paths can expedite evacuation, improving facility safety and minimizing the risk of injuries and fatalities.
- Reducing Risks: By implementing clear and effective safety measures, businesses can mitigate liability risks associated with accidents and injuries.
Egress Versus Exit Marking Kits
While exit marking kits highlight areas immediately in front of exit doors, egress marking kits delineate the entire evacuation route. You may combine multiple egress marking kits to mark the entire path of travel toward the exit. Both exit and egress markings play essential roles in emergency planning: Exit kits keep doorways clear, while egress kits ensure that pathways leading to exits are visible and obstruction-free.
Benefits of Marking Egress Routes With Floor Marking Kits
Our egress marking kits are often preferred versus painted lines or cutting floor tape to size. Floor marking tape requires zero drying time, making an egress marking kit a preferred option versus painting exit route lanes. Puzzle edges keep everything square, and pre-cut diagonal strips allow you to space the rest of the markers evenly.
Easy to Install
Once you’ve cleaned and prepared the surface, our egress marking kits are easy to apply using a simple three-step process. Compare the significant time it takes to prepare and paint egress markings at an exit door versus quickly and efficiently installing an adhesive-backed exit marking kit.
Follow our installation recommendations for the best results.
- Create the border. Make a rectangle using the two 50-foot strips and two 36-inch strips, using the puzzle-cut edges on the corners to ensure proper alignment and spacing. Remove the liner and press lightly to adhere the tape to the floor.
- Add the diagonal lines. Line up the edge of one of the pre-cut strips with the top right corner of the laid-down rectangle. Begin in the middle, then space out the remaining diagonal strips exactly 24 inches apart. Adhere the lines to the floor.
- Tamp to activate adhesive. Tamp the tape strips with at least three passes of at least 150 pounds of pressure to activate the adhesive.
Durable and Effective
Egress markings need to remain clear and intact under heavy use. Our kits are designed to endure industrial environments, offering long-term durability even under forklift traffic. For the most durable option, choose an egress marking kit with our patented Superior Mark® tape, designed to withstand heavy industrial traffic. Beveled edges and a recessed adhesive help the tape stay put and resist chipping or tearing so the markings remain in top shape throughout extended exposure—ensuring they remain visible. You can also select a vinyl floor marking kit, which is more durable and easier to install than painted markings and may be suitable for low-traffic areas.
Custom Sizes Available
Our egress kits are available in standard 36-foot by 50-foot dimensions, with 2-inch or 4-inch wide tape strips, but we can also produce custom sizes and colors if you need a different look or non-standard dimensions to suit your purposes.
Egress marking kits provide an easy, cost-effective solution for improving emergency evacuation routes. Our pre-cut kits are easy to install, durable, and can be installed without lengthy closures. Egress marking kits clear visual cues for egress paths and keep clear areas to help ensure a smooth and safe evacuation for everyone in the building. Explore our Resource Center for more industrial safety tips and solutions.
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Sources:
¹https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.34
