Emergency exits are one of the most important features of a building’s fire safety plan. They provide occupants with a way to leave a building when a fire, smoke, electrical fault, or another emergency makes normal access routes unsafe. However, having an emergency exit does not automatically mean that a building is prepared for an emergency.

Blocked doorways, unclear signs, locked exits, poor lighting, and a lack of evacuation planning can make it harder for people to reach safety. These problems may occur in offices, shopping centres, schools, hospitals, factories, apartment buildings, and other occupied premises.

In Pakistan, building owners and managers should consider the applicable fire safety requirements, the building’s layout, and the needs of everyone who uses the premises. The Building Code of Pakistan—Fire Safety Provisions 2016 addresses means of egress and the need to keep escape routes unobstructed.

Understanding common mistakes is a practical way to improve preparedness. Here are seven problems to avoid and the steps that can help make emergency exits safer.

1. Blocking Emergency Exits with Furniture or Stored Items

One of the most common mistakes is using an escape route as extra storage space. Boxes, furniture, cleaning supplies, office equipment, merchandise, and other items may gradually accumulate in corridors or near exit doors.

During normal operations, these objects may appear harmless. During an emergency, however, they can restrict movement, create trip hazards, or prevent people from reaching the exit quickly.

This problem can be particularly serious in busy buildings where many occupants may need to leave at the same time. Narrow corridors, crowded stairways, and obstructed doorways can slow evacuation and make it difficult for people to move safely.

How to prevent this mistake

Building managers should establish clear rules prohibiting storage in designated escape routes. Staff should know which areas must remain clear, and routine inspections should identify obstructions before they become a problem.

Useful precautions include:

• Keep corridors, stairways, and exit doors free of stored items.
• Avoid placing delivery cartons or cleaning equipment in escape routes.
• Make sure doors can open fully as intended.
• Keep access to emergency equipment clear.
• Assign responsibility for checking common areas.
• Remove obstructions promptly when they are identified.

In shops and warehouses, storage arrangements should be planned so that stock does not gradually encroach on emergency routes.

The main principle is simple: an escape route should remain available for evacuation, not become a convenient place to store unused items.

2. Locking Emergency Exit Doors Incorrectly

Another serious mistake is securing an emergency exit in a way that prevents occupants from leaving quickly. Businesses may do this because of concerns about theft, unauthorised entry, or access control.

Security is important, but it should not prevent people from escaping during a fire or another emergency. A door that requires a key, a complicated code, or assistance from someone who may not be nearby can create a dangerous delay.

The appropriate locking arrangement depends on the building’s use, door design, occupancy, and applicable regulations. Specialised settings may have specific requirements, but these must be addressed through an approved safety arrangement rather than an improvised solution.

How to prevent this mistake

Owners and facility managers should have exit doors and locking systems reviewed by qualified professionals to confirm that occupants can escape as required.

They should also:

• Check that designated exit doors operate correctly.
• Make sure occupants understand how to use the doors.
• Arrange regular inspections of door hardware.
• Ensure that access-control systems do not prevent required emergency egress.
• Include exit-door checks in the building’s fire safety programme.

Do not add chains, padlocks, or other barriers to emergency exits without confirming that the arrangement complies with applicable requirements.

Emergency exit arrangements should balance building security with the need for safe and timely evacuation.

3. Using Poor or Missing Emergency Exit Signs

Even when an exit is accessible, people may struggle to find it if signs are missing, damaged, obscured, or difficult to understand.

Visitors and temporary occupants may not know the building’s layout. In an emergency, they may be unfamiliar with the location of stairways, corridors, and alternative exits. Smoke, noise, and stress can make it harder to interpret unclear directions.

A sign hidden behind a display, covered by a decoration, or poorly positioned may not provide useful guidance when people need it most.

How to prevent this mistake

Emergency exit signs should be clear, visible, and positioned according to the building’s approved safety design and applicable requirements.

Building managers should check that:

• Signs remain visible from relevant approach routes.
• Directional signs guide occupants towards the intended exit.
• Signs are not hidden by doors, decorations, or stored materials.
• Emergency lighting supports visibility where required.
• Damaged signs are repaired or replaced promptly.
• Evacuation maps match the current building layout.

In larger buildings, directional signs may be needed at corridor intersections and other locations where occupants could become uncertain about which way to go.

Schools, hospitals, hotels, and shopping centres should pay particular attention to visitors who may not know the premises.

Clear signs help people identify the correct route without having to stop and ask for directions.

4. Ignoring Emergency Lighting

Power failures can occur during fires and other emergencies. If normal lighting stops working, stairways, corridors, and exit areas may become difficult to navigate.

Poor visibility can make it harder for occupants to recognise changes in floor level, locate door handles, or identify the correct direction of travel. This may be especially challenging for older people, young children, and people with visual or mobility limitations.

Emergency lighting is intended to support safe movement when normal lighting is unavailable. However, it must be suitable for the building and maintained so that it can perform its intended function.

How to prevent this mistake

Building owners should arrange inspections and testing of emergency lighting according to the system design, manufacturer instructions, and applicable standards.

Checks should consider:

• Whether emergency lights are visibly damaged.
• Whether relevant escape routes receive suitable illumination.
• Whether backup power arrangements are maintained.
• Whether exit signs remain visible during a power failure.
• Whether faults are recorded and corrected.
• Whether required functional and duration tests have been completed.

A light that briefly switches on during a check may not necessarily provide the required illumination for the full emergency period. Appropriate testing is therefore important.

Emergency lighting should be treated as part of the wider fire protection system, not merely as an optional convenience.

5. Failing to Maintain Emergency Exit Doors and Stairways

Emergency exits can become less reliable when doors, hinges, closers, handles, stair surfaces, and other components are poorly maintained.

A door may stick, fail to open as intended, or be difficult to operate. A damaged handrail or uneven stair surface may create an additional hazard during evacuation. Fire doors that have been improperly altered or damaged may also fail to provide their intended protection against smoke and fire spread.

These problems can develop gradually and may go unnoticed if inspections focus only on whether an exit is physically present.

How to prevent this mistake

A regular inspection programme should cover the full escape route, from occupied areas through the exit and to a safe discharge location.

Building managers should arrange checks for:

• Doors that open and close as intended.
• Damaged handles, hinges, closers, and latching mechanisms.
• Stairways and landings that remain clear and usable.
• Handrails and other required safety features.
• Fire doors and their associated hardware.
• Signs of water damage, corrosion, or structural deterioration.

Repairs should be completed by competent personnel. Fire doors should not be propped open or modified in ways that undermine their intended function.

Maintenance records should identify the defect, the date it was reported, the corrective action taken, and any follow-up inspection required.

A well-maintained exit is easier to use and more likely to perform as intended when an emergency occurs.

6. Failing to Connect Exit Planning with Fire Alarms and Evacuation Procedures

Emergency exits cannot provide effective protection if occupants do not know when to evacuate or which route to follow.

A building may have several exits, but people may remain unaware of their locations. Staff may also be uncertain about who should raise the alarm, guide visitors, assist people who need additional support, or account for occupants after evacuation.

A fire alarm system provides warning, while the evacuation plan explains what people should do in response. These functions should work together.

How to prevent this mistake

Buildings should have a documented fire emergency plan appropriate to their occupancy, size, layout, and risks.

A suitable programme should include:

Alarm procedures: Occupants should understand what the alarm sounds or signals mean and how to report a fire.

Escape routes: Staff and visitors should be able to identify the intended routes and any relevant alternatives.

Assembly areas: The plan should identify where occupants should gather after leaving the building.

Staff responsibilities: Designated personnel should understand their roles during evacuation without delaying their own escape.

Assistance arrangements: The plan should account for children, people with disabilities, and anyone who may need help evacuating.

Fire drills: Practice should help occupants become familiar with the procedures and identify weaknesses.

A properly selected and maintained fire alarm system in Pakistan can help alert occupants to danger, but installing an alarm alone is not enough. The system must be tested and maintained, and people must understand how to respond to its warning.

Where an alarm or other fire protection system is temporarily out of service, building management should follow an approved impairment procedure and arrange suitable temporary safeguards.

7. Forgetting to Consider Visitors and People Who Need Assistance

An evacuation plan may work reasonably well for regular employees but fail to account for visitors, contractors, customers, young children, older adults, or people with disabilities.

Visitors may not know where the exits are. Someone with limited mobility may need an accessible route or a planned form of assistance. People with hearing or visual impairments may require suitable warning methods or additional support.

Assuming that everyone can evacuate in exactly the same way can leave important gaps in the safety plan.

How to prevent this mistake

Emergency planning should consider the different people who use the building and the support they may need.

Practical steps include:

• Providing understandable exit signs and evacuation instructions.
• Informing visitors about emergency procedures where appropriate.
• Training staff to assist occupants within their assigned roles.
• Identifying accessible escape arrangements where required.
• Providing suitable warning methods for people who may not notice standard alarms.
• Practising evacuation procedures that include different support needs.

In schools, staff should understand how to help younger children reach the assembly point safely. In hospitals and care facilities, evacuation arrangements may require specialist planning because some occupants cannot leave independently.

The plan should be reviewed whenever the building’s use, occupancy, or layout changes.

Why Emergency Exit Inspections Matter

Avoiding these seven mistakes requires more than a one-time inspection. Exit routes can become obstructed, signs can be damaged, and door hardware can deteriorate over time.

A routine inspection programme helps identify problems before an emergency occurs.

A basic inspection checklist may include:

Inspection item	What to check
Corridors and routes	No obstructions or unnecessary storage
Exit doors	Accessible and operating as intended
Exit signs	Visible, clear, and correctly positioned
Emergency lighting	Maintained and tested as required
Stairways	Clear, usable, and properly maintained
Fire doors	No unauthorised alterations or obvious defects
Alarm system	Faults addressed and required testing completed
Evacuation plan	Current, communicated, and practised

The frequency and scope of inspections should reflect the building’s risk, applicable regulations, and safety plan. Technical systems should be checked by qualified personnel when specialist knowledge is required.

Inspection records should include identified problems, assigned responsibilities, completion dates, and any follow-up actions.

Emergency Exit Safety in Pakistan

The Building Code of Pakistan—Fire Safety Provisions 2016 includes requirements relating to means of egress, unobstructed escape routes, and the visibility or indication of exits. The exact requirements applicable to a building depend on its type, occupancy, design, and the authority responsible for enforcement.

Punjab Civil Defence identifies emergency exits, evacuation plans, fire detection and alarm systems, and firefighting arrangements among the fire safety measures it inspects in relevant premises.

Building owners and managers should consult the applicable code, local authorities, and qualified fire safety professionals to determine what is required for their premises. They should not assume that the same number, size, or arrangement of exits is appropriate for every building.

For schools, offices, factories, apartment buildings, shopping centres, and other occupied premises, the objective is to ensure that people can identify and use safe escape routes when required.

Conclusion

Emergency exits are essential to building safety, but their effectiveness depends on how they are designed, maintained, and used. Blocking routes, locking doors incorrectly, neglecting signs, ignoring emergency lighting, overlooking maintenance, failing to coordinate alarms with evacuation plans, and forgetting the needs of visitors can all weaken emergency preparedness.

Building owners should keep escape routes clear, inspect exit doors regularly, maintain signs and lighting, test fire alarm systems, and train occupants in evacuation procedures. Regular drills and documented inspections can help reveal problems that might otherwise go unnoticed.

A reliable fire alarm system in Pakistan is one important element of a complete fire safety plan. It should work alongside suitable exits, clear instructions, maintained equipment, and an emergency procedure that reflects the building’s occupants and risks.

The most important lesson is that an emergency exit must remain accessible and usable every day—not just during an inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the most common emergency exit mistakes?

Common mistakes include blocking escape routes, locking exit doors inappropriately, using unclear signs, neglecting emergency lighting, failing to maintain doors and stairways, overlooking evacuation planning, and not considering people who need assistance.

2. Should emergency exit routes always be kept clear?

Yes. Designated escape routes should be maintained free of obstructions so occupants can reach exits safely. Storage, furniture, and equipment should not be allowed to interfere with required escape routes.

3. Why are emergency exit signs important?

Exit signs help occupants identify exits and follow the correct direction, particularly in unfamiliar buildings. Signs should be visible, clear, maintained, and positioned according to the building’s safety design and applicable requirements.

4. How often should emergency exits be inspected?

Inspection frequency depends on the building’s risks, applicable requirements, and safety plan. Escape routes should be checked routinely, while doors, emergency lighting, alarms, and other technical systems should receive the inspections and testing specified by relevant standards and manufacturers.

5. How does a fire alarm system support emergency exits?

A fire alarm system warns occupants that an emergency may be occurring. When combined with accessible escape routes, clear signage, trained staff, and a practiced evacuation plan, it helps people respond promptly and move towards safety.