CFI Means of Egress Requirements 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When inspecting a newly constructed high-rise office building, how many exits are generally required per floor under NFPA 101?
- One exit is always sufficient
- A minimum of two exits, unless the occupant load and travel distance allow one (Correct answer)
- A minimum of three exits regardless of occupant load
- Four exits are always required in high-rise buildings
Correct answer: A minimum of two exits, unless the occupant load and travel distance allow one
NFPA 101 generally requires a minimum of two exits per floor, with single-exit exceptions only when occupant load and travel distances are very small.
Question 2: Under NFPA 101, which of the following is NOT a permitted component of the means of egress?
- Exit access stairway
- Horizontal exit
- Escalator used as an exit (Correct answer)
- Exit passageway
Correct answer: Escalator used as an exit
Escalators are not recognized as an exit component under NFPA 101 because they are not protected and cannot be relied upon for emergency egress.
Question 3: A fire inspector notes that an exit door swings inward against the direction of egress travel. Under NFPA 101, this is:
- Permitted if the occupant load is fewer than 50 (Correct answer)
- Always a violation regardless of occupant load
- Permitted if the door is equipped with panic hardware
- Permitted only in sprinklered buildings
Correct answer: Permitted if the occupant load is fewer than 50
NFPA 101 allows doors to swing inward (against egress travel) when the occupant load served by the door is fewer than 50.
Question 4: What is the required minimum illumination level for means of egress lighting at the floor level?
- 0.2 foot-candles
- 1 foot-candle (Correct answer)
- 5 foot-candles
- 10 foot-candles
Correct answer: 1 foot-candle
NFPA 101 requires means of egress illumination at the floor level to be at least 1 foot-candle (10.8 lux) under normal conditions.
Question 5: How long must emergency lighting remain operational under NFPA 101 after normal power fails?
- 30 minutes
- 1.5 hours (Correct answer)
- 2 hours
- 4 hours
Correct answer: 1.5 hours
NFPA 101 requires emergency egress lighting to remain operational for a minimum of 1.5 hours (90 minutes) following loss of normal illumination.
Question 6: Which of the following conditions would constitute a blocked means of egress that a CFI must cite?
- A fire-rated door held open by an approved electromagnetic hold-open device
- Exit corridor used for temporary storage of boxes reducing width to 36 inches (Correct answer)
- A self-closing door in the closed position
- Exit signage installed at 80 inches above the floor
Correct answer: Exit corridor used for temporary storage of boxes reducing width to 36 inches
Storing materials in an exit corridor that reduces the required minimum width (44 in for most occupancies) is a code violation.
Question 7: Under NFPA 101, the term 'common path of travel' refers to:
- The total distance from any point to a public way
- The portion of exit access travel where occupants must travel in a single direction before reaching a choice of paths (Correct answer)
- A corridor shared by two or more tenants
- The distance between two adjacent exits
Correct answer: The portion of exit access travel where occupants must travel in a single direction before reaching a choice of paths
Common path of travel is the distance occupants must traverse before they have a choice of two or more paths to separate exits.
CFI Means of Egress Requirements 3
When inspecting a newly constructed high-rise office building, how many exits are generally required per floor under NFPA 101?