Are Euro signs the only legal fire escape signs

[Guest Ranie]

Hi there, I was wonderign if you cangive me some advice, as there is an professional disagreement where the majority of my team believe that the "EURO SIGNS" are the the only legal and acceptable fire escape signage to use.But I am arguing that the BS 5499 accepts the Sgnage with text "fire exit" ans this is legal and acceptable. Can you please advise? It's about 15 - 1 at the moment. So I need definitive advice!!!!

[Safelincs]

Hi Ranie

To my knowledge, as long as you don't mix escape sign style within the building you are ok, at least until the dust from the various changes around escape signs has settled.

Harry

[Tom Sutton]

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 states the euro signs should be used but most experts claim the the ISO 7010 and BS 5477 is a better standard and should be used in Europe, which will be the situation when PR EN 7010 the European standard is accepted. Then all will be using the standard and the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 will have to be amended then the Euro-sign will be illegal.

Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-exit-signs/ for more details.

[Guest Richardsp]

Could someone confirm to me if BS5499 is a statutory regulation. More specifically the correct use of arrow. I would like to purchase some self illuminating signs but the company I wish to buy from only makes a down, left and righ arrow. No up arrow. Is a down arrow ok to use to indicate 'progress straight on'

Regards

Richard

[Tom Sutton]

BS 5499 is not a statutory regulation and Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals Regulations) 1996 is, which still shows the so called euro sign as an acceptable layout and does not show an up arrow. ISO 7010 is to become PR EN 7010 and when it does (if ever) the H&S(SS&SR)1996 will be revised which will mean the three standards will be the same ISO 7010, PR EN 7010 and BS 5499 part 4. Hopefully then the directional arrows will be used correctly but for the moment the illuminated fire signs without the up arrow are still acceptable.

http://www.firesafe....e-safety-signs/

[Guest Rayj]

Should the wording on a fire exit sign be in capital letters?
Or does it matter if the sign is in capital and lower case

Many Thanks

Ray

[Tom Sutton]

Capital letters according to BS 5499-4:2000 check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/bs-5499-safety-signs-including-fire-safety-signs/

[Safelincs]

Hi Tom

Not quite sure about this. I had a chat with Jalite about this. They state that their fire exit signs adhere to BS5499-1. According to Jalite, the first letter should be in capitals and the remainder should be lower case. This is because people with dyslexia and other reading problems may struggle to understand signs where the lettering is all capitals.

Harry

[Tom Sutton]

Sorry Harry and Ray, I stand corrected I checked out the website instead of the British Standard. The ISO doesn't help and it appears BS 5499 part 1 2002 has been withdrawn, some research is needed but Harry is correct.

[Tom Sutton]

BS ISO 3864 part 1 2011 has replaced BS 5499 part 1 2002 which has been withdrawn.

BS ISO 3864 part 3 2012 has replaced BS 5499 part 6 2002 which has been withdrawn.

BS ISO 3864 part 4 2011 has replaced BS 5499 part 2 1986 which has been withdrawn.

BS ISO 7010 part 3 2011 has replaced BS 5499 part 5 2002 which has been withdrawn.

BS 5499 part 4 and BS 5499 part 10 is still current which I am afraid makes things somewhat complicated.

I cannot find any reference to supplementary text sign other than they should be used to assist the understanding of the graphic signs. In BS ISO 16069 2004 and BS 5499 part 4 shows examples using all uppercase and also the first letter uppercase and the remainder lower case but no specification anywhere. We need an expert like Jim Creak of Means of Escape journal to help us but as far as I can see and in light of what Harry said I would go for the first letter capital and the remainder lower case.

[Tom Sutton]

We now have one standard for safety signs which includes fire safety and fire exit signs and it is an International (ISO) European (EN) and British (BS) Standard, BS EN ISO 7010:2012. It is envisaged The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations will be amended soon and the new signs will become law and the so called euro-sign will be no more. It appears anybody with BS 5499 pt 4 signs will conform to the new standard.

[Guest JosephGood]

I need guidance in regards to find out the latest EN/BS signage used on emergency routes plans to indicate the way out of a building in an evacuation.

Specifically I need to know if a series of green arrows ( like they used to be ) or a straight green line (possibly with a pictogram of the “running man” at intervals) is used to indicate the emergency route.

I need to know this as I am presently engaged on updating our Emergency route plans at our terminal.

Would highly appreciate your help

Kind regards

Joseph

[Tom Sutton]

Emergency route plans are not officially required as part of an Emergency fire escape plan/procedure, unless you consider that floor plans are a useful tool, consequently I am not aware of any BS/EN standards other than BS 1635 for Graphical Symbols and Abbreviations for Fire Protection Drawings. There are many styles and the one you decide to use is up to you and by surfing the web you can see what other people have done.

Checkout http://www.firesafe.org.uk/graphical-symbols-and-abbreviations-for-fire-protection-drawings/

Note.

The emergency fire escape signs you use to indicate the means of escape on site, including illuminated fire escape signs is now an international standard. The current standard for the design of fire escape signs is BS EN ISO 7010 1912 and BSEN 1838:2013 requires all illuminated exit signs should conform to 7010.

[Guest GaryPart]

if eu signs are already fitted in older buildings, under the new legislation will they have to be changed

Thanks

[Tom Sutton]

If new legislation is introduced or the existing legislation "The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996" is amended then the euro signs will have to be changed. The current British, European and International Standard is BS ISO EN 7010 and any new or amended legislation will use this standard.

Then so called euro signs will then be illegal but when this is likely to happen is anybodies guess, however it will happen and if you can change the euro signs you should. You cannot force anybody to change but you can recommend it because sometime in the future they will be required to change.

New or refurbished premises should use the current standard as a matter of course.

[Guest playthruhuman]

Is there a legal obligation for a manager of a warehouse who has around 20 people working for him to have escape routes marked out?

As I understand it, there must be a pictogram with an arrow and then there may be supplementary text with the sign. Am I correct?

Thanks

Tom

[Tom Sutton]

The legal obligation is that all the employee's and relevant persons resorting in the premises are able to find there way out of the premises quickly/easily. If fire exit signs enable all persons to escape from the premises quickly and easily without confusion then they are legally required.

You are correct with your description of a fire exit sign and it is recommended they should be in accordance with BS EN ISO 7010:2012 and BS 5499 in most cases would be acceptable.

[Guest Tom]

Thanks for the prompt reply Tom.

What is the fundamental difference between the BS EN 7010 and the BS 5499? Why is a BS 5499 only accepted in most cases and not all?

Thanks, Tom

[Tom Sutton]

The standard that should be used is BS EN ISO 7010:2012 but a signs conforming to BS 5499 are identical in my opinion would be acceptable. To get signs conforming to the latest standard would difficult as there is many of the BS 5499 signs still available and the changeover will take some time to complete. Check out the icons below and ignore the colours in reality they are the same.

BS 7010 Sign BS 5499 sign

[Guest Tom]

Ok thank you that's a great help. Last question:

Is the EEC Directive (EEC/92/58) outdated now and if not what relevance does it have?

[Tom Sutton]

The EEC Directive (EEC/92/58) is outdated and been superseded by BS EN ISO 7010:2012. The problem is the UK acted upon the directive and produced the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 which I believe is still in force and has not been repealed or amended. This means the so called euro sign is still legal and many illuminated boxes still carry that sign. I think the manufacturer are reluctant to change because they would be left with lots of stock on their hands, cynical I know.

Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-safety-signs/ .

[Guest NickLew]

We are a company of building control officers and fire engineers. On a recent inspection of a care home that is due for completion in two weeks time, it was found that 30% of the illuminated exits signs had the British Standard format, the other 70% was to the European format. We have recommended that only one type should be used in the same building, but the supplier of the signs has advised that this combined format is acceptable and will not change these. Can you confirm if pr en 7010 has been accepted by Briton making the British standard BS 5499 illegal?

Thank you.

[Tom Sutton]

British Standards are not law they are recommendations that would be considered best practise if ever a case came to the courts. BS EN ISO 7010 is the current standard accepted in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world but unfortunately we still have the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 which spurns the so called euro sign and until it is amended the euro sign is still legal.

As you suggest the mixed signs are not acceptable and I would try to persuade them that they should replace the euro legend for the 7010 fire exit legend. Many emergency lights have either the euro style of legend or have none, so these adhesive vinyl signs stick over the light to create an illuminated exit sign. The legends come in packs of 10 and are made by Jalite.

[Guest BSExitSign]

There is a brand new building near me that is near completion, (construction begun in mid summer last year) a university centre to be precise. What are the chances that they'll use the Euro style exit instead of the BS ISO signage despite being a brand new build?

[green-foam]

What are the chances that they'll use the Euro style exit instead of the BS ISO signage despite being a brand new build?

Either they will or they won't, so chances are 50 / 50