Fire Safety Signs  (Page 1)

(also see Page 2 for further Fire Safety Signs)

The Health and Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations requires that: -

“All fire and safety signs must comply with the Health and Safety Signs (Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.”

Fire safety signs cannot be ‘text only’ they must now include a pictogram, and conform to European Directive 92/58/EEC or British Standard BS 5499: Part 1: 2002. Either of these two styles will satisfy the Regulations, but it is good practice for only one style to be adopted throughout a building.

Escape Route Signs

EXIT SIGNS are used to indicate the normal route out of a building, generally the exit is in day to day use.

FIRE EXIT SIGNS are used to indicate an escape route out of the building that has been provided specifically to be used in the event of a fire or other emergency that requires the building to be evacuated.
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SUPPLEMENTARY TEXT should be included in all fire safety and escape route signs to assist in the understanding of the sign.

DIRECTIONAL ARROWS should also be included in the sign to indicate the required escape route, the signs should be positioned above doors, at changes of direction and have the following meanings:-
 

BS 5499: Part 1	Direction of Escape	EC Directive 92/58/EEC
	Fire Exit Ahead
	Fire Exit Up Left
	Fire Exit Left
	Fire Exit Down Left
	Fire Exit Down
	Fire Exit Down Right
	Fire Exit Right
	Fire Exit Up Right
	Final Fire Exit

 

EMERGENCY FIRE EXITS that are in used for other purposes or alarmed for security reasons should be indicated as ‘FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY’ and not indicated as ‘FIRE EXIT STAFF ONLY’ or ‘FIRE EXIT PRIVATE’ as this may cause confusion.

Fire Safety signs

The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations requires that: -

“any non-automatic fire fighting equipment shall be indicated by appropriate signs.”

Each item of fire fighting equipment should be marked with the appropriate symbol, where various types of equipment are stored at one location, a `Fire Point" signs should be used.

When equipment is stored in a recess or cupboard, a panoramic sign, mounted well above head height, should be used to enable the equipment to be identified from a distance.

Lift entrances should be marked with signs warning that they are not to be used in the event of fire.
 

 

 

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