Guide to Installing and Understanding Emergency Exit Signage (UK Regulations)
When choosing emergency exit signage for commercial premises, it's crucial to ensure compliance with UK regulations to protect occupants during an emergency. This guide will help you understand the correct use of directional signage and fire exit signs, ensuring your premises are safe and meet legal requirements.
Key Points of Emergency Exit Signage
Visibility: Signs must be easily visible from a distance and positioned at an appropriate height. Install them in key locations like stairwells, corridors, and above doors leading to exits. Ensure signs are not obscured by furniture or other objects.
Illumination: Emergency exit signs should be illuminated so they can be seen during power failures or in low-light conditions. Many premises will also need emergency lighting to accompany these signs.
Legibility: Fire exit signs should be made from durable, fire-resistant materials. They must be easy to read and include universally recognised symbols for clarity, ensuring anyone can understand them quickly.
Picture Form & Arrows: Escape route signs must be in picture form, using symbols with directional arrows. Above fire doors, exit signs should not include arrows to avoid confusion.
Braille & Tactile: For inclusivity, Braille and tactile signage are recommended in commercial buildings to help visually impaired individuals safely evacuate during emergencies.
Photoluminescent Signs: These glow-in-the-dark signs are essential for visibility during nighttime or when lights are out. They are a cost-effective way to ensure continuous visibility even in low-light conditions.
Consistency: Maintain uniformity in the height and placement of signs throughout the building to avoid confusion during an emergency.
Clear of Obstructions: Keep exit routes and the area around signs unobstructed at all times. The exits must remain accessible in case of emergency evacuations.
Directional Arrows on Fire Exit Signs: Choosing Between Up or Down
A frequently asked question when installing fire exit signs is whether to use an up or down arrow, especially above doorways. Here’s a guide to help:
Up Arrow: This sign is used above a door to indicate that individuals should pass through the door and continue straight ahead. If there's an upward route (such as stairs), an up arrow is also appropriate. However, these signs are less common as evacuation typically leads down or to ground-level exits.
Down Arrow: More commonly used, the down arrow directs individuals to pass through the door and move downwards, often to staircases or exits on lower levels. These signs are particularly useful on upper floors of multi-story buildings.
Compliance with UK Regulations
In the UK, fire exit signs must comply with the BS EN ISO 7010 standard, ensuring that they use recognised symbols and layouts. UK regulations also stipulate that fire safety signage must be positioned to guide individuals toward the nearest exit route, particularly in the event of an emergency where visibility may be compromised.
