Fire Safety Signs
At DD Fire Alarms we can provide you with a full fire signage survey for your site.
In line with current regulations:
- The health and safety regulations 1996 (safety signs & signals)
- The fire safety order 2005
Failure to comply could result in prosecution.
BS5499 part 4 says that you should identify the primary escape route from each place within the premises.
If there is a choice of escape routes, the escape signs should be located to indicate the shortest route. If there is a choice of two escape routes of equal distance, both should be indicated by separate series of signs.
It is not necessary to provide signs to every possible escape route from every area.
When deciding locations for signage, the following principles should be applied:
- At least one escape route should be visible from each room or enclosure. Where this route is not conspicuous or confusion could occur, the route should be indicated by a sign. If there is only one door out of a room a sign is not always required.
- Where direct sight of the escape route or of the sign is obstructed, intermediate signs should be provided.
- Doors or passageways which might be confused as leading to a designated escape route should be clearly marked, but escape route signs should take precedence over all other signs.
- All changes of direction in corridors, doors, stairways and open spaces forming part of an escape route should be marked with intermediate signs. These should be positioned so anyone passing along a corridor will always be able to see a sign where a choice has to be made.
- Signs should be evenly spaced and consistently located so that the evacuee can effectively and quickly predict the location of the next sign within the escape route.
- Additional signs should be provided where the line of sight to the next sign would otherwise exceed the recommended maximum viewing distance for the chosen size of sign (typically 17m for 100mm lettering and 25m for 150mm lettering).
- A place of safety should be provided with a sign indicating “Assembly Point”.
- Signs should be positioned so they are not obscured by opening doors.