While providing recurrent emergency exit training for a group of pilots; the Instructor/Captain/Reporter found both left and right type III emergency exits inoperable from the outside.

Narrative

While instructing a recurrent class of pilots on how to remove type III emergency exits on a DHC-8 Q200; we found that on this particular aircraft we were unable to open either the left or right emergency exit from the outside; in the manner in which they are supposed to be removed or opened. A small button marked with the word 'push'; is supposed to be pushed in and a lever/release will then spring out from the exit. With this lever in the 'out' position a pilot can pull down on it and the emergency exit will release from the fuselage and fall into the airplane. If this release lever is jammed; then the pilots cannot complete their emergency evacuation procedure and ultimately passengers could be stuck in the aircraft with no way out. Upon discovering this I asked the mechanics to give me the aircraft logbook; so I could note these discrepancies in it. I was told they could not find it and that they would write the inoperative emergency exits up themselves and put in a work order for them. I did not see this happen; but that is not to say that it did not. Before my recurrent class the right type III exit was eventually fixed by a mechanic and we were able to complete our training. I never saw the left type III emergency exit get fixed.I believe the emergency exits need routine operation to assure their functionality.