A means of egress consists of which component?

• A. Exit access
• B. Exit discharge
• C. Fire barriers
• D. Corridors

Answer: (B)

Means of egress is the continuous path occupants use to escape a building, and it’s defined as three parts: exit access, the exit, and exit discharge. The option that represents a defined component of this path is the exit discharge. This portion runs from the end of the exit to the exterior or to a public way, ensuring a route from inside to outside. Exit access refers to the portion that leads to an exit (such as corridors or doors) and is part of the overall path but not the final segment. Corridors themselves are features within exit access, not a separate component. Fire barriers are fire-resistance partitions that influence fire separation rather than forming a segment of the means of egress. So, the best answer is the exit discharge because it is the specific segment of the egress path that connects the exit to the outside.