Fire Industry Association Releases Guidance Document on Fire Safety Signs and Notices

In an effort to make fire safety and notices more easily understood to both the fire trade and members of the public, the Fire Industry Association (FIA) is pleased to announce the release of a new Guidance Document on Fire Safety Signs and Notices, available to download for free on www.fia.uk.com.

The Guide has been launched to help building managers, facility managers, duty holders, responsible persons and FIA members understand what is required and gives examples of what signs should be used.

Fire safety signs should be reviewed periodically to ensure they continue to support the fire safety strategy for the premises.

The guidance is divided into two parts:

• Fire Exit and Escape Route Signs
• Other Fire Safety Signs and Notices

The Fire Exit and Escape Route Signs section explains what duty holder should look out for. For example all evacuation signs should be conspicuous and legible within the environment.

The guide also explains why the size of graphical symbols is so important.

Examples of escape route signs which are standardised to ensure that exit is intuitive and efficient are also included.

The Other Fire Safety Signs and Notices section presents the legal requirements for fire safety information. Including:

• Typical emergency evacuation area/equipment signs
• Fire alarm call point signs, fire action notices, fire extinguisher identification notices
• Fire fighting equipment, fire safety notices
• Management of risk/prohibitive action combination signs

The Guide also covers the standards that signs should meet. The design, position and location of the fire safety signs should conform to BS EN ISO 7010 and BS 5499 parts 4 and 10 respectively.