Egress Requirements / Means of Egress
Building code requirements, drawn from the International Building Code and referencing [[concept-life-safety-code-nfpa-101|NFPA 101]], governing how occupants exit a building safely: minimum exit width, maximum travel distance to an exit, and the number of exits required based on a space's occupant load.
Why it matters
Egress requirements are calculated from occupant load, not from how a space happens to be furnished, so a tenant improvement that changes how a room is used can trigger a completely different egress calculation than the same square footage under its previous use.
On a real project
An open office converted into a densely-packed call center increases the space's occupant load enough that the code now requires a second exit where one exit had previously been sufficient for the same square footage.
Who this matters most to
A QA/QC Inspector checks that the built condition actually matches the approved egress plan, since furniture, storage, or a locked door can silently violate egress requirements even when the drawings were correct.
Where this goes wrong
A tenant improvement's furniture layout narrows a required exit corridor below its code-minimum clear width, and the discrepancy isn't caught until a life-safety inspection fails right before the certificate of occupancy is supposed to be issued.