1
Set the scene
Start with context
Fill the frame
2–3 ft for close-ups; keep ladders, cords and workers fully in view.
OSHA Compliance Guide
Emergency Preparedness & Exit Routes
Keep visible paths and response roles ready.
Use visual review to prompt egress and equipment checks, then verify the written plan, alarms, roles, drills, accessibility, and accountability process.
Free preliminary visual review · No account required
Try it on a emergency preparedness photo
OSHA Scan may flag visible concerns. A photo may flag a blocked route, obscured sign, or inaccessible equipment, but it cannot verify alarm audibility, emergency lighting, plan currency, headcounts, employee readiness, or system function.
Live OSHA hazard analysis
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1Upload photo
2AI analysis
3See report
Use the real site or facility name. If you save the scan after signup, it becomes the report name.
Three angles, one deeper scan
Only the wide shot is required — every extra angle gives the AI more places to look.
Required: Set the scene — one wide shot lets the AI sweep the whole area at once
Stand at the entry point and capture corner to corner: floors, ladders, scaffolds, and everyone at work
or choose from your library
Drop a job-site photo or walkthrough video
Click to upload, drag & drop, or snap a photo on site. Photos scan free in about 15 seconds — no signup, no card. Video walkthroughs (up to 3 min) run on a free account.
Results in ~15sReferences relevant OSHA standardsPrivate - deleted in 48h unless you save it
Accuracy boosters
Small habits, sharper scans
2
Capture clearly
Make the frame usable
Light it right
Keep the sun or lights behind you — glare and shadows hide hazards.
Tap to focus
Tap the hazard on screen and hold still one second — blur can't be flagged.
3
Choose the useful view
Give the AI room to understand
Go landscape
Turn your phone sideways — a wider frame catches more of the scene.
No job-site photo handy?
or scan with video
Only upload photos you have permission to use, and avoid images showing personal, customer, or confidential information. Demo photos and results are held privately for up to 48 hours so you can save them to a free account; unclaimed photos are deleted automatically. Results are an AI-assisted preliminary review, not an official OSHA determination.
What the AI can and can't detect
OSHA Scan reads a single photo. That makes it fast and easy for anyone on site — but it also means it has real limits. Here's an honest look at both.
What it can catch from a photo
- Missing or incorrect PPE that is visible in the frame
- Unprotected edges, open holes, and visible fall hazards
- Housekeeping, trip, and blocked walkway or exit hazards
- Visible electrical, struck-by, and equipment-guarding hazards
What a photo can't tell it
- Hazards hidden from view or anything outside the photo
- Exact heights, distances, weights, or measurements
- Training records, procedures, or how equipment is actually used
- Full legal compliance or an official OSHA pass/fail determination
A photo may flag a blocked route, obscured sign, or inaccessible equipment, but it cannot verify alarm audibility, emergency lighting, plan currency, headcounts, employee readiness, or system function.
Important Limitation: A photo may flag a blocked route, obscured sign, or inaccessible equipment, but it cannot verify alarm audibility, emergency lighting, plan currency, headcounts, employee readiness, or system function.
Quick Answer
An Emergency Action Plan organizes reporting, evacuation, routes, accountability, critical-operation shutdown, rescue or medical duties, and employee training for reasonably expected workplace emergencies.
Reference: 29 CFR 1910.38; 29 CFR 1926.35
Understanding Emergency Action Plans
An EAP turns foreseeable emergency scenarios into clear reporting, alarm, evacuation or shelter, route, accountability, shutdown, rescue, medical, and communication actions. OSHA recommends an EAP for all employers; particular standards determine when one is required.
General-industry 1910.38 requires a written plan kept at the workplace and available for review when the standard applies; employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate it orally. Construction 1926.35 has additional plan and training provisions.
Report
Define how emergencies are reported
Evacuate
Assign routes and assembly actions
Account
Plan for personnel accountability
Train
Review duties and practice response
Paused
Visualizing Emergency Egress
The reviewed scene shows stored material near an exit route. Visual review can flag an obstruction for immediate housekeeping and plan review, but it cannot verify the complete life-safety system.
1
Blocked routes
Flag stored material, equipment, or clutter that appears to narrow or obstruct an exit route or door.
2
Visible signs and maps
Note obscured or missing visible signage and route information; verify the plan and accessibility separately.
3
Emergency equipment access
Flag an extinguisher, alarm, first-aid point, or communication device that appears blocked or inaccessible.
4
Scenario context
Use the image to prompt the appropriate emergency scenario and responsible-person review, not to predict response performance.
Maintaining Clear Exit Routes
The reviewed scene shows a guided evacuation scene supporting a drill, roster, and route-documentation workflow.
Keep routes clear
Use housekeeping, route markings, accessible doors, and routine inspections to maintain an unobstructed path.
Maintain alarms and communication
Test and maintain systems through the responsible program; a photo cannot verify audibility or function.
Assign roles and accountability
Name responsible people, assembly locations, headcount methods, shutdown roles, and support for people needing assistance.
Exercise and update
Run drills or exercises appropriate to the hazards, capture lessons, and revise the plan when conditions change.
Paused
Emergency Response Training
Before implementation, designate and train people to assist orderly evacuation; review each employee's relevant duties on initial assignment and when the plan changes.
- Report fires and other emergencies using the site's alarm and communication process
- Follow primary and alternate routes, assembly, accountability, and accessibility procedures
- Understand role assignments, critical-operation shutdown, rescue or medical duties, and shelter actions
- Use fire extinguishers only when employees are expected and trained to fight incipient-stage fires
Documenting Your EAP
Keep the plan version, hazard/scenario assessment, contacts, maps, routes, alarm and communication tests, training and drill attendance, accountability results, shutdown/rescue roles, equipment inspections, lessons learned, and corrective close-out. Attach dated photos only to document visible conditions.
A photo cannot prove alarm audibility, emergency-light performance, route capacity, headcount success, plan currency, or employee readiness. Verify those through inspection, testing, drills, and records.
Photo-based reviews support documentation. Your responsible program owner must arrange on-site verification by people with the qualifications and designated roles required for the task.
OSHA Requirements & Safety Guidance
Review the cited requirements, proposals, and educational guidance separately. State plans may have additional or different requirements.
29 CFR 1910.38
Emergency action plans
Binding general-industry EAP requirements when a Part 1910 standard requires one, including minimum plan elements and training review.
29 CFR 1926.35
Employee emergency action plans
Binding construction EAP and employee training provisions when an applicable standard requires a plan.
29 CFR 1910.36
Design and construction of exit routes
Binding general-industry physical requirements for exit routes.
29 CFR 1910.37
Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features
Binding general-industry exit-route maintenance and safeguards.
OSHA guidance
Emergency preparedness getting started
Educational planning guidance; OSHA recommends EAPs for all employers while specific standards determine when one is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Does every employer need a written EAP?
A.OSHA recommends an EAP for all employers, but 1910.38 applies when a Part 1910 standard requires one. Employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate a required plan orally under 1910.38; check construction and other applicable standards.
Q.Can visual AI certify an exit route or extinguisher?
A.No. It can flag visible obstruction or access issues, but cannot verify route requirements, alarm or lighting function, extinguisher condition, or emergency readiness.
Q.What should a drill document?
A.Record the plan/version, scenario, time, routes, attendance and accountability, role performance, accessibility needs, communications, lessons, and corrective actions.
Related Safety Resources
About the Author
Reviewed by OSHA Scan Editorial
Last updated September 11, 2026
This content is produced by the OSHA Scan Editorial team and reviewed with AI assistance. It is general safety information, not legal or compliance advice. OSHA Scan is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor.
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