Safety Signs & Way Guidance

BS EN ISO 7010 has now been published outlining the best practices for communicating safety messages and includes guidance on identifying firefighting equipment, including alarms.

These standards exist to ensure safety signs clearly instruct and inform the occupants using common pictograms and colours to avoid any confusion. Fire alarm zone plans are an essential part of a compliant fire alarm system with each one is created individually for the protected premises, so this doesn’t come under standards for safety signage. However, it’s good practice to display zone plans with a red header and the ‘flames’ pictogram to the right that makes them instantly recognisable as an important part of the fire safety signage. Identifying the origin of alarm quickly is essential in an effective emergency procedure following the initiation of a fire alarm.

The fire alarm control panel and zone plan location is usually close to the main entrance or reception of a building. This area of a building is a common meeting place for both regular occupants and visitors, therefore it’s a prime location to display instructional and/or informative fire safety signs.  Incorporating fire safety signs into the zone plan display can offer immediate instruction of what to do in the event of an alarm condition.

Fire action notices are ideal to add to the zone plan. They come in a variety of formats and languages and can almost be as bespoke to the protected premises as the fire alarm zone plan itself. In this example, we have a staff fire action notice and fire warden notice shown with the fire zone plan. Not only will this inform staff what to do but it gives details of who is trained within the building to carry out fire warden tasks.

Information about fire alarm test days is good practice.  Notification of the time and date not only act as a good reminder to occupants of the premises but is essential for visitors as well.  It is good practice to inform visitors to the site but this acts as a constant reminder to those responsible for facilities to carry out their weekly fire alarm test.

Various display options

Snap Frames

The most common way to mount a framed print of the zone plan is adjacent to the fire alarm control equipment. The popular front loading ‘snap’ frames are great as they enable the zone plan to be amended to reflect building or system changes, without the need to remove the frame from the wall. Flexible acrylic covers are sensible for schools/public areas, where a glass frame may be a potential hazard.

Photoluminescent

Due to the popularity of photo luminescent (glow in the dark) signage, zone plans can be provided in this format too. Printed onto 1.2mm rigid plastic, these plans exceed PSPA ‘Class B’ Standard for afterglow requirements, with luminance properties and performance measured to DIN 67510.

Acrylic Frames

Printed onto 5mm acrylic these zone plans are ideal for prestige installations and come complete with aluminium effect stand-off fixings for a complete finish. To prevent damage/vandalism plans are printed on the reverse providing good resistance to discolouring too.

For more information and advice contact QDOS (Quality Drawing Office Services Ltd) Tel: 03333 441516  Web: www.qdos.biz   Email: hello@qdos.biz