We have an elevated walkway that is accessed from the top of a tank. You climb down to the walkway to access some valves that are located there. Are there any codes/requirements for an additional means of egress from this walkway should something occur atop the tank blocking the only means of egress?

In the NBIC for boilers/pressure vessels, the installation requirements state: "There shall be at least two permanently installed means of egresss from walkways, runways, or platforms that exceed 6 ft. in length." Was this requirement adopted from some other code or is there a similarly stated code available? This application is not for a boiler house, but a process tank located outside.

goldy....

Suggest that you review the NFPA "life safety" codes and rules.

Try this:

http://www.nfpa.org/catalog/product.asp?category_name=Built+Environment&pid=101B02&;target_pid=101B02&src_pid=&link_type=category&src=catalog&cookie%5Ftest=1

I seem to remember that, for areas that are not commonly occupied, only one means of egress is permitted, but it cannot be too far from a "main accessway"

The key here is "not commonly occupied", a category in which your valve station seems to fall

This is helpful too:

http://www.workplacegroup.net/article-rev-egress.htm

Star ????

-MJC