Bars on older basement windows

[mbarnhill1 (Mike Barnhill)]

In an older home (1962) with small non egress type basement windows there were bars on all of them. How should I address them. Everything that I read about bars on windows refers to windows described as emergency escape and rescue windows or Egress windows which these are not.
My inclination is to call them out as unsafe because some people may be able to squeeze out of the windows in an emergency even though they are not designed to be egress passages.

What do others think?

[rcooke (Roy D. Cooke, Sr)]

@mbarnhill1

In an older home (1962) with small non egress type basement windows there were bars on all of them. How should I address them. Everything that I read about bars on windows refers to windows described as emergency escape and rescue windows or Egress windows which these are not.
My inclination is to call them out as unsafe because some people may be able to squeeze out of the windows in an emergency even though they are not designed to be egress passages.

What do others think?

Hazard we recommend they be removed immediately .

https://www.nachi.org/window-bars.htm

http://www.poynter.org/2008/burglar-bars-trapping-fire-victims/93175/

[rcloyd (Russell Cloyd, KY LIC #166164, IN LIC#HI02300068)]

Mike,
In the U.S., if the windows are not in a sleeping room (bedroom), they are not required for egress. The security bars would be OK.