It is a legal requirement of a business owner or employer to ensure that sufficient signage is provided where there is a significant risk to health and safety. Safety signs regulations standardise safety signs throughout the EU so that wherever a particular safety sign is given, it portrays the same message. This is to ensure that workers moving from site to site will not be faced with different signs. A large proportion of the safety signs regulations relate to fire signs and in particular to Means of Escape, Fire Action Notices and Fire ID signage which all endorse the relevant parts of British Standard BS 5499. Other requirements for a building’s signage may also be laid out in its Fire Certificate or Fire Risk Assessment.
Emergency Exit Signs
When it comes to escape route signage there are certain certain rules that should be adhered to. A minimum of one possible route or doorway leading to an escape route should be visible from any place within every room and in any circumstance that the route is not obvious then appropriate signage must be used. When following an escape route there should always be an escape route sign visible whenever a person is presented with a door or choice of direction and if a doorway sign is obscured a second sign should be added.
In the circumstance where multiple routes are possible the shortest should always be indicated. Doors that could easily be confused for an exit along a given route, such as store rooms, should be clearly labelled to avoid confusion and final Exit signs, where the door leads to a safe place, should not have a directional arrow.
Where possible signs should be fitted between 1.7 and 2 meters off the ground. If possible they should be positioned consistently at the same height throughout the escape route. It is also recommended by BS 5499 that “all signs within a system of escape route signing should be of similar style, design and format”.
Fire Door Signs
Fire doors play an essential role in ensuring the safety of a buildings occupants should a fire occur. Their job is to ensure that fire and smoke are contained. Therefore, they need to be kept closed and unobstructed. Fire doors should be clearly labelled with ‘Fire Door Keep Shut’ signs on both sides. When doors are held open by a self closing door retainer this label should be replaced with an appropriate automatic closure label ensuring that the door is kept clear and is able to fully close should a fire occur.
Fire Action Signs
A fire action notice gives instruction to the occupants of a building of how they should proceed in the event of a fire. A fire action notice should be positioned at every fire alarm call point to ensure that occupants are always aware of the procedures in place.
Fire Equipment Signs
BS 5499 recommends that a sign featuring the standardised fire extinguisher symbol should be installed to help identify the location of a fire. We have a number of fire equipment signs available, each bearing the symbol outlined by BS 5499 also showing the type of fire extinguisher that is available and the situations in which they should (and shouldn’t) be used.
Assembly Point Signs
In the event of a fire all staff and occupants of a building need to be accounted for, therefore a sign that clearly indicates assembly points should be employed to ensure that everyone accountable arrives at a common, safe location.
Discount Fire Supplies offer a comprehensive range of Fire Signs and are able to provide all the signs that you need to keep your building safe and conform to legal requirements. For more information on fire signs or any of the other products we have to offer please feel free to get in touch either by telephone on 01792 983 170, email to [email protected] or by making use of the live help facility at the bottom of your screen.
