W. Va. C.S.R. § 87-1-1 et seq. § §87-1-7
Exit Inspections and Public Life Safety Announcements
Operative Text
§ 87-1-7. Exit Inspections and Public Life Safety Announcements.
7.1. Inspection of Exits. Not more than 90 minutes prior to the scheduled commencement of any
noncontinuous activity, event, performance, show, meeting, function, or other occasion for which people
will gather in a place of assembly, the owner or his or her designee pursuant to written authority,
instructions, or procedures shall inspect every required exit, way of approach to an exit, and way of
departure from an exit. If the inspection reveals that any required means of egress is obstructed,
inaccessible, locked, fastened, or otherwise unsuited for immediate use, the scheduled program shall not
begin, nor shall admittance to the place of assembly be permitted, until necessary corrective action has been
completed.
7.2. Announcements. Immediately prior to the start of a program for which 300 or more people will
gather in a place of assembly, the owner or his or her authorized agent shall orally notify all attendees
concerning the location of the exits to be used in case of fire or other emergency.
7.3. Records. An accurate record of all inspections, corrections, and notifications shall be kept and
retained for at least 2 years in the offices of the respective building owners. The records shall contain:
7.3.1. A brief description of each activity, event, performance, etc., including its date, time, and
location; and
7.3.2. The name and signature of the person who performed each requirement of this section; and
7.3.3. The date and time when each requirement was performed.
7.4. Alternatives. In case of practical difficulty or undue hardship, or in which compliance would not
significantly increase life safety, the State Fire Marshal may approve or accept alternative means of
accomplishing the objectives of this section.W. Va. C.S.R. § 87-1-7 establishes requirements for places of assembly in West Virginia. No more than 90 minutes before any non-continuous gathering, the owner or a designated representative must inspect all required exits and the paths leading to and from them; if any exit is found to be blocked or otherwise unusable, the event cannot begin until the problem is corrected. For gatherings of 300 or more people, an oral announcement about exit locations must be made immediately before the program starts. All inspections, corrections, and announcements must be documented and those records retained for at least two years.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of places of assembly subject to W. Va. C.S.R. § 87-1-7 generally maintain a consistent pre-event inspection routine, completing exit walkthroughs within the 90-minute window before each non-continuous event and resolving any egress obstructions before allowing admittance. For events drawing 300 or more attendees, a compliant operator ensures that an oral exit announcement is made immediately before the program begins. Thorough recordkeeping—capturing event details, the inspector's name and signature, and the date and time of each required action—is retained in the building owner's offices for a minimum of two years, and operators facing genuine compliance difficulties may seek alternative arrangements through the State Fire Marshal under section 7.4.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
W. Va. C.S.R. § 87-1-7 is primarily a building-owner obligation, but attendees at places of assembly benefit directly from its protections: exits must be inspected and cleared before an event starts, and at gatherings of 300 or more, organizers are required to announce exit locations before the program begins. If you believe these requirements were not followed at an event—for example, exits were blocked or no safety announcement was made—the State Fire Marshal's office is the body that oversees compliance with this rule. Tenant-rights organizations or a legal aid service can help you understand what options may be available if you experienced a safety concern connected to a violation of this section.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation