Fire Safety Signs

Safety Signs, exit route and final exit signs were originally text only and included an arrow for travel direction only when appropriate. However, the European Community decided that there should be a sign or series of signs that should offer a common language of communication across European Community states. It was decided that a graphical symbol or pictogram should he the main element of the sign design enabling it to be understood independently of spoken and written language. The EEC Directive 92/58/EEC was produced to deal with the sign design criteria of Prohibition, Warning, and Mandatory, Safe Condition ( Emergency Escape and First Aid), Firefighting, and Supplementary Information signs.

Once the EEC Directive was issued from Brussels it was mandatory for each member state to bring it into general debate within its own parliamentary system, a process which leads to the passing of new legislation. The UK, government copied contents of the EEC Directive 92/58 and produced the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. The British Standards Institute and the International Organisation for Standardisation became involved and produced their own standards.

Fire Exit Sign Design

The Euro Pictogram
The BS 5499 Pictogram.
ISO Pictogram

BS 5499 sign complete with supplementary signs

Can be purchased as a composite sign.

There are two main types of emergency exit route signs in use in the UK the first is based on one of the five pictograms shown in the above regulations and is generally called the “Euro-Sign. The other created by British Standard 5499.

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 laid down the parameters and the objective was to provide signs readily understandable even though they do not need to contain words. The sign designers produced the so called "Euro-Sign" by coping one of the five pictograms shown in the above regulations and elongating it to form a rectangular. The British Standards Institute worked within the requirements of the above regulations but used a different approach and designed a new pictogram.

This has caused confusion and uncertainty amongst those who need to specify fire signs many are unsure of which is the most effective and which one should be specified according to good practice.

Another requirement of an effective signing system is, it should have the highest comprehension credentials but there appears to be much doubt when considering the euro sign compared with the British Standard pictogram. When subjected to the testing regime of ISO 9186 showed BS 5499 Escape Route Signs combined with the additional supplementary signs achieved 100% comprehension.

The graphical symbols shown in the British Standard 5499 are identical to the International Standards Organisation (ISO), which uses them in their standard. Their symbols have undergone a rigorous comprehensibility research programme amongst a wide variety of states and was voted as the most understandable symbols. The signs shown in both the British Standard 5499 Part 4: 2000 and ISO 7010:2003 completely and most effectively fulfil the design specification of the EEC Directive and have been developed according to excellent design practice.

Many experts like Warren Hickson a design and communications consultant say that signs designed to meet the requirement of British Standard 5499 Part 4: 2000 and ISO 7010:2003 offer clearer guidance than the ‘euro-sign. However the choice is yours as all the above signs meet the requirements of the above regulations.

Note for Guidance

The Fire Safety Advice Centre

Introduction

Fire Exit Sign Design

Further Information