29 CFR 1910.36 · California · FY2025
Exit Route Design in California: FY2025 OSHA citations
7 citation items under 29 CFR 1910.36 at inspected sites in California, from 6 inspections.
From Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data record 7 citation items under 29 CFR 1910.36 at inspected sites in California, in 6 inspections. Among the 52 sections of 29 CFR parts 1904, 1910 and 1926 cited in California that year (424 citation items in all), this one ranks 17th by items. These counts describe inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Paragraphs of 29 CFR 1910.36 cited in California
| Paragraph | Items | Share of the 7 |
|---|---|---|
| 1910.36(g)(2) | 3 | 43% |
| 1910.36(d)(1) | 3 | 43% |
| 1910.36(e)(2) | 1 | 14% |
“(2) An exit access must be at least 28 inches (71.1 cm) wide at all points. Where there is only one exit access leading to an exit or exit discharge, the width of the exit and exit discharge must be at least equal to the width of the exit access.”
“(d) An exit door must be unlocked. (1) Employees must be able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, tools, or special knowledge. A device such as a panic bar that locks only from the outside is permitted on exit discharge doors.”
“(2) The door that connects any room to an exit route must swing out in the direction of exit travel if the room is designed to be occupied by more than 50 people or if the room is a high hazard area (i.e., contains contents that are likely to burn with extreme rapidity or explode).”
How the California citations were classified
Of the 7 citation items: 3 serious, 0 willful, 0 repeat and 4 other-than-serious (43% serious).
Who was inspected in California
33% of the 6 inspections with a recorded headcount were at sites with 26 to 100 employees. The headcount is the inspected site's, not the employer's total.
| 1 to 10 | 1 |
| 26 to 100 | 2 |
| 101 to 250 | 1 |
| 251 to 1,000 | 2 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 3 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 |
| RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps | 2 |
| Traveler Accommodation | 1 |
| Facilities Support Services | 1 |
When the items were issued
By quarter of FY2025: Oct to Dec 2024: 1; Jan to Mar 2025: 1; Apr to Jun 2025: 3; Jul to Sep 2025: 2.
Who enforced in California
California has an OSHA-approved State Plan that ordinarily covers private-sector employers and state and local government workers. All 7 of the items were recorded by federal OSHA offices. A State Plan may have standards of its own. The paragraphs on this page are the federal 29 CFR numbers recorded in OSHA's data, and this page does not say which California rule applies to a given workplace. OSHA's page on the California State Plan, with its coverage.
California against the other states
California ranks 19th of the 39 states and territories with items under 29 CFR 1910.36 in this data. The most items: Puerto Rico 44; New York 30; Tennessee 23; Virginia 21; Massachusetts 18. In all, the data record 355 citation items under 29 CFR 1910.36; the 7 in California are 2.0% of them. Penalty maximums: OSHA penalties in California.
Next steps for a California employer
- Federal text of the standard: 29 CFR 1910.36, Exit Route Design
- Free tool: Inspection Action Plan
- Free tool: Toolbox Talk Generator
- Software: HazComFast EHS software
Counts by HazComFast from the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data, extracted Oct 13, 2026; deleted items left out, 29 CFR numbers only. They are not figures OSHA publishes for the state, and the live database can change them. Same data source and method as our HazCom enforcement study. Not legal advice.