Jeff Weller of Southwest Entrances sent me this Wordless Wednesday photo from a trip to Quebec City. I have to say…this was definitely a first for me. This “exit” leads to an exterior fire escape. I’m not sure why the exit sign points to the right but this window/door has a fire alarm pull station and panic hardware.
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Lori , there are many old buildings in our province of Quebec. Many still incorporate exterior fire escapes or roof top exits that lead to stairs .Some of these buildings date back to the early 1800’s and have been allowed as per heritage buildings to provide with minimal renovation fire exits . However having said that there are also a lot that dont comply even new construction .
Hi David –
It’s not uncommon to see equivalencies granted in historic buildings, but steps over a radiator are pretty unique!
– Lori
Agree with David in terms of what can be observed in many historic buildings, especially in other countries with far older structures than commonly found within the US. What is and is not permitted by building and fire codes in other countries can be widely different from what we are used to seeing in the US.
As to this photo, I’m not certain this is intended to be the exit as the sign is directing occupants to the right. Granted, we have all seen incorrect exit signs. However, I have also observed historic exits in older building that did not comply with current codes that were permitted to remain operational by the local AHJ even when renovations had been performed to provide additional, compliant exits. The most common justification is the belief among AGJ’s that the more ways out the better, even if some don’t meet current code.