Egress Windows for Fire Safety

Egress: Basements and every sleeping room should have at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening that opens directly onto a public street, public alley, yard or court. This standard is required because many deaths and injuries happen when occupants are asleep at the time of a house fire and the normal means of escape (through doors) are typically blocked.
The sill height of the emergency escape and rescue opening should not be more than 44 inches above the floor. If the window has a sill height below ground level, a window well should be provided.
 
An Egress Window must provide an unobstructed opening with a minimum area of 3.77 ft2 (0.35 m2), and with no dimension less than 15“(380mm). For example, a window with an unobstructed clear opening of 15″ by 15″ is not suitable because the area would be less than the minimum required 3.77 ft2.
 
The windows should be easy for anyone to open from the inside without the use of keys, tools or special knowledge to allow persons to escape a bedroom.

​The window well should have a horizontal area of at least 9 square feet, with a minimum horizontal projection and width of 36 inches (with the exception of a ladder encroachment into the required dimension). If an emergency escape window is located under a porch or deck, the porch or deck should allow the window to be fully opened and the escape path should be at least 3 feet high.

The window should maintain the required opening during an emergency without the need for additional support.

Where the egress window opens into a window well, a clearance of minimum 760 mm (30 in) must be
provided in front of the window to allow a person to escape. Window with outward-opening owning
needs additional clearance to provide the required 760 mm beyond th outer edge of the sash. The
drawings from the BC Building Code that are reproduced below clarify this requirement.

Where the sash of the window swings towards the window well, the operation of the sash must not
reduce the clearance in a manner that would restrict escape in an emergency. Hopper windows (bottom
hinged operators) should not be used as egress window where the occupants have to climb over
the glass.

​Where a protective enclosure is installed over the window well the enclosure must be openable from
the inside without the use of keys, tools or special knowledge of the opening mechanism.

You can’t be prepared to act in an emergency if you don’t have a plan and everybody knows what that plan is. Panic and fear can spread as quickly as a fire, so map out an escape route and a meeting place outdoors, and involve even the youngest family members so that everyone can work as a unit to make a safe escape.

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