If you run a business you may already know that you need fire safety signs. Naturally, you may already be aware of fire exit signs and have them installed. However, there is in fact a wide variety of different kinds of fire safety signs that may be required on your premises.
What kind of fire safety signs do you think you need? There are a number of factors to keep in mind when considering what signs to use:
- The layout of your place of work
- The nature of the signs and their use
- What equipment do you have on-site and if you will need more or specialised equipment
You will often as a basic precaution have a fire action notice in your building. The objective of the Fire Action Notice is to ensure that everybody working in or visiting your facility understands what to do if a fire breaks out or if the building will have to be evacuated.
Here are some other important signs to keep in mind when keeping your buildings safe.
Fire exit signs
You may not require a fire escape sign if your business building is modest and has a simple layout. Fire exit signs are not required if the exit is ‘obvious,’ such as in a small store where the entrance and exit is extremely clear and there is not too much room for confusion.
However, with more complex buildings you will require fire exit signs. What you really want to know is how easy it will be for people to get out of the building in the case of a fire, especially if they are unfamiliar with the layout.
In some situations, a succession of directional signs may be required to guide occupants of the offices. Fire exit signs should have directional arrows indicating which way to go in the event of a fire.
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Assembly point signs
These are generally signed with a green background and white arrows indicating that the area around the sign is the location of an assembly point in the case of a fire. These need to be placed at safe locations and far away from the building where your place of work is. Getting to the assembly point should be already known from fire drills and clear signage in and around the office.
Fire equipment signs
It is essential in the event of a fire that you and your staff know where fire extinguishers and other pieces of equipment are being kept. There are specific types of signs designed for this purpose. Most fires are extinguished within the first two minutes of the fire starting, so it is imperative that you are your team are able to get to the fire as quickly as possible.
There are a number of different kinds of fire equipment signs that may refer to fire blankets, fire extinguishers and hose reels, among others. It is important to familiarise yourself with these different signs.
Prohibition and anti-smoking signs
There are many signs that also prohibit the use of a specific item or substances on-premises, the most obvious example of this being smoking. You may be aware of no smoking signs and their distinct red band design. There are a number of others that include no naked flames and no water on fire. These are common in kitchens and should be paid close attention to.
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Types of warning signs
Warning signs are generally yellow and triangle in shape. They are used to indicate that something dangerous or volatile is close by. These can be lighting signs to indicate electrical boxes, dangerous chemicals, or volatile compounds. It is highly dependent on the workplace but it is not uncommon to see.
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Conclusion
We hope you found this guide on all of the many types of fire signs helpful. In conclusion, if you are in charge of the fire safety of commercial buildings, it is important to keep all of these types of signs in mind and have an understanding of what your specific building needs. These are the key pieces of information you need to know:
- All premises must get a Fire Action Notice.
- Fire escape signs are required in all but the tiniest and most basic of buildings.
- Extinguisher ID sign – because extinguishers are required, every business must have at least one extinguisher ID sign.
- Call point signs for fire alarms – if you have a fire alarm, you must have call point signs.
We at 1st Attendance provide a variety of courses including fire awareness training that can help you and your staff better understand the specifics of fire safety and what will be essential knowledge when safeguarding your building against fire risks. Click here to take a look at our practical and theoretical course on fire awareness.