In busy environments, the seemingly innocuous task of opening a door can create unexpected risks, which can be mitigated by implementing clear, helpful floor markings and visual cues. Whether in a bustling hospital, office building, warehouse, or industrial facility, door-swing collisions can lead to personal injury and property damage. Here, we explain the specifics of door swing safety, identify key areas where these markings are most beneficial, and offer practical tips for their effective use.
Importance of Door Swing Safety
Door swing floor markings are an important component of facility safety. Opening door without proper caution can cause minor injuries such as bruises, cuts, and scrapes—and those minor mishaps can be exacerbated when other factors come into play, such as employees carrying hazardous or heavy materials or if there are forklifts or other powered industrial trucks (PIT) around. Implementing door swing safety markings is an easy way to prevent accidents caused by swinging doors. Highly visible, durable, and easy to apply, they raise awareness of the area in which associated hazards may be present. Additionally, door swing safety signs can help your facility comply with OSHA standards that require that doors on exit routes remain unobstructed.
OSHA and NFPA Door Swing Requirements
Per OSHA’s Exit Routes and Emergency Planning¹ standard and the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) guidelines, door leaves in egress paths should swing in the direction of travel. This allows for more efficient navigation and a faster escape during an emergency.
According to the NFPA, the door must hinge open in the direction of travel² if any of these three conditions exist:
- The door serves a room or area with 50 or more occupants
- The door is used as an exterior exit
- The door opening services an area with fire, explosives, or other high-hazard contents
Another requirement of OSHA’s regulation for exit routes is that they must remain unobstructed. Marking entrances with door swing signs that include “Do Not Block” text helps prevent material handlers or forklift operators from placing a pallet or inventory directly in front of the doorway, and also provides an extra visual reminder of the opening direction to help prevent injuries.
Where Are Door Swing Markings Most Beneficial?
Door swing markings provide visual cues by outlining the areas within the path of an opening door. A visual workplace benefits from door swing floor marking signs that make it obvious for employees, guests, and vehicle operators where to avoid standing or walking to prevent being injured by a door opening from the other side.
Here are some of the applications where door swing area floor signs offer significant benefits:
- Restaurants – Waiters carrying trays heavy with food could be hit by a swinging door, causing them to spill the food and cause injury, loss of product, or loss of business.
- Storage Areas – People or vehicles entering or leaving storage areas are likely to have arms or equipment full of heavy loads, which exacerbate the risks associated with being hit by an opening door.
- Warehouses and Manufacturing Facilities – Any environment with powered industrial trucks (PITs) or forklifts must urge extra caution in areas in which hazards could be created, especially where there are doors near the path of travel.
- Hazardous Material Handling – In environments where hazardous materials are handled, all efforts should be taken to prevent spilling, including marking door swing radiuses to mitigate the risk of unintentional collisions when doors are opened.
- Emergency Exit Routes – Door swing signs prevent the obstruction of egress routes, allowing doors to be opened quickly and easily in an emergency and during day-to-day operations.
Caution Door Swing Sign
Tips for Choosing and Using Door Swing Signs
If you’re ready to improve facility safety by implementing visual cues that go beyond the minimum requirements, follow these tips to choose the right door swing sign for your space.
- Decide on full versus outline door swing signs. We recommend letting the hazard level dictate your choice. To identify where the door will open, an outline should be sufficient. Along egress routes and in other instances in which you need to keep the entire door swing area clear of obstructions, use a full sign that offers greater visibility and clarity about the area to avoid.
- Match the width of your door. Our door swing signs are available in sizes to suit several standard door widths, including 24”, 32”, 36”, and 48”. If these do not work for your space, you can also contact us to customize a door swing floor sign according to your needs.
- Mark the door’s full swing radius. Our door swing signs come in quarter-circle configurations, to accommodate a door that opens to a 90-degree angle. However, if your door makes a full 180-degree arc, you may want to place two signs together to create a complete semicircle and cover the entire affected area.
- Supplement with other wall and floor markings. Add wall-mount signs at eye-level on doors to indicate the direction in which they will open. Customize Superior Mark® repeating message floor tape with symbols and text that alert about any nearby doors—“Door Ahead” or “Door Opens This Way”—so employees and vehicle operators are aware of potential hazards.
Door swing signs are an easy way to improve safety everywhere from warehouses and manufacturing facilities to restaurants. Pair door swing floor markings with Superior Mark® floor marking tape and Superior Mark® signs to create clear, helpful visual cues that keep your employees and guests safe. For more on using our products in industrial facilities and beyond, explore our Resource Center.
¹https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.36
²https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/NFPA-Today/Blog-Posts/2021/04/09/Basics-of-Swinging-Type-Egress-Door-Operation
