R 408.10611 Design of buildings and structures.

Rule 611. (1) The danger to employees must be minimized. (2) A building or structure designed for human occupancy shall be provided with exits, as prescribed in this part, that permit prompt escape in case of fire or other emergency. (3) Exits and other safeguards shall be designed so that an employee's safety or preservation of life in case of fire or other emergency is not dependent solely on a single safeguard. Additional safeguards shall be provided for life safety in case any single safeguard is ineffective due to human or mechanical failure. (4) Exit routes shall be kept free of explosive or highly flammable furnishings or other decorations. (5) A building or structure shall be constructed, arranged, equipped, maintained, and operated to avoid undue danger to the lives and safety of the employees from fire, smoke, fumes, or panic during the period of time necessary for escape from the building or structure. (6) An employee alarm system must be operable. Employers shall install and maintain an operable employee alarm system that has a distinctive signal to warn employees of fire or other emergencies, unless employees can promptly see or smell a fire or other hazard in time to provide adequate warning to them. The employee alarm system must comply with General Industry Safety Standard Part 9 “Fixed Fire Equipment,” and 29 C.F.R. 1910.165 “Employee alarm systems” as adopted in R 408.10606.