Fire safety Signs

[Tom Sutton]

ISO 7010 is the international standard for fire signs and its been combined with BS 5499: Part 1 the result is BS ISO 16069:2004. At the moment Europe is in the process of adopting ISO 7010 as a European norm which means we will all be singing from the same hymn sheet. I think!

Jim has it been made a European norm (PR EN 7010) yet?

Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/html/fsequip/firesign1.htm any complaints send it to Safelincs

[Jim Creak]

Nearly right but just for the record.... BS ISO 16069 2004 Graphical Symbols Safety Signs and Safety Wayguidance Systems(SWGS) a document that outlines possible components for low proximity illumination and escape route location, identification and direction. A Standard born out of the disaster at Dusseldorf Airport.Within this Standard the escape route signs required to conform should be in accordance with ISO 7010. Guidance on the use of directional arrows for egress in conjunction with the appropriate escape route sign is also part of this Standard. This Standard compliments BS 5499 Part 4 2000 Code of practice for escape route signs.

BS Technical Committee (PH and ISO Technical Committee (TC 145) have been informed that ISO 7010 2010 will be adopted as an EN and the annex to EC Directive 92/58 will be withdrawn this year. All applications have been completed, adoption approved the time element is just the way it goes in Brussels.

[Tom Sutton]

Much appreciated Jim please keep us informed.

[Gasmeter]

Thanks Tom and Jim, just one more question, until ISO 7010 is adopted, should I tell consultants for our building projects to use BS5499-4 or BS ISO 16069 2004 or both? Thanks a lot for your help

[AnthonyB]

I got the first mailshot from a signs company today about all this!

Fine for new, but I'm not changing an existing sign because it's foot's slightly different (as described in the blurb) and eagerly await the summons as a result of my reckless abandon!

With the economy in the state it is and budgets tight, I'm going to consider a lot of other more important measures before I change signs that are still comprehensible.

Can anyone cite a real life case of a purpose made fire exit sign (as oppose to no signs, home made signs) causing death or injury?

[nearlythere]

But AB. If it isn't to the right standard it might come loose and fall on someone's head and kill them - for ever.

[Jim Creak]

As Anthony points out there is a minor difference between the graphical symbol in BS 5499 and ISO 7010 and are not likely to confuse anyone and I would totally agree that these signs do not require changing until they fall apart, however there are a huge number of escape route signs that are completely different in colour and design, specifically the so called Euro Sign but also derivitives of same with different reversed graphical symbol small arrows white blocks etc etc. Testing to ISO 9186 and Japanese consumer research has shown that these types of signs are not understood and have been clearly rejected. If the process of risk assessment is to work then this must be a significant finding.

The late Dr Jonathan Sime would always tell me that evacuees are all predesposed to react and try to leave buidings the way they came in and this may result in loss of ASET by time and elongated travel distance, he said his research pointed to the conclusion that in order to influence evacuee behaviour another way it would need to be of the highest integrity. This information would need to be continuous, unambiguous and the evacuee must be able to predict the next piece of information at any decision point if they are to remain confident and maintain effective egress. I have always adopted this as my guiding principle for safety wayguidance. The work of Tranter and Paul, most recently with Jake Paul as a function of stairway guidance in the aftermath of 9/11 has support this view.
There is plenty of evidence out there of evacuees being confused during evacuation, I have already mentioned Dusseldorf Airport and I recall the fatality of a middle aged couple in a hotel in Bolton on a Friday afternoon and in other statements of surviving evacuees recorded that there was confusion and not knowing where to go to escape. The fine to this hotel group was in six figures.

I agree with Anthony it is all a matter of priority, my advice is that the facts should be given to the Responsible Person and he will ultimately decide whether to take the risk. The facts are that so called Euro Signs are likely to confuse! The evidence is overwhelming!

[nearlythere]

I have come across a "new" sign in a training programme which is red with white text and graphics. Flames to right hand side, hand with index finger pointing at a graphic of a MCP and text "Fire Alarm Call Point" below.
Is this a new european sign?

[AnthonyB]

It's not new, but it is I believe in the ISO?

Some Health & Safety related pictograms have changed too, most notably the PPE, hazard (lots of new ones here) and Access ones.

I won't miss the Euro symbol though, never ever used it even with exit boxes, always the BS one with text.

[nearlythere]

It's not new, but it is I believe in the ISO?

Some Health & Safety related pictograms have changed too, most notably the PPE, hazard (lots of new ones here) and Access ones.

I won't miss the Euro symbol though, never ever used it even with exit boxes, always the BS one with text.

Thanks AB. The "new" bit was a word they used to describe it.

[nearlythere]

Is the reason behind not using text because of multi-lingual europe and graphics being a more practical way of giving information to many nationalities?
If so how do you deal with signs, like the general fire notice, which give text phases only? This information would be more difficult for migrant workers, lacking basic English skill, to understand than a simple word like "Exit" yet it only seems to be exit signs which must only be graphical.
I have factory with 6 languages in the workforce with English being the least of. The usual general fire notice provides safety information on what to do in the event of a fire. To provide neccessary signage in this situation would require 6 at each MCP.
To me the ISO one would best suit in my situation with relavant interpreted information posted in the likes of the canteen of what the various graphic sign means in the employees native language.

[AnthonyB]

You'll have to star putting those multi-lingual fire action signs up that Signs International* made in 9 languages!

It's a fair point and also applies to health & safety signs and a large number of mandatory fire signs where there is no pictogram beyond the general one for that category of sign & the text gives the actual message.

Certainly on the safety sign there are lots of new weird & wonderful symbols in this ISO, particularly in the warning category, to try and get around this.



*Signs International, formerly a largish player in the signs industry and for many years in the 80'searly 90's were the main supplier for Chubb & Pyrene finally lost the fight last year and is no more.

[Jim Creak]

Fire Action Notices are just that.............. they are not fire safety signs. They are not within the scope of BS 5499 nor ISO 7010. Historically only the blue circle with text "Fire Action" was Standardised not as a safety sign but mandatory fire safety notices as with    " Fire door keep shut" etc

The introduction of Fire Safety Signs (Graphical Symbols) within fire action notices was to ensure appropriate guidance is given to employees on the meaning of safety signs and the actions to be taken in conjuction with signs. This is a requirement under the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulation 1996. The graphical symbols in an appropiate order... 1. Alarm....2. Escape.....          3. Assemble is extremely logical in my opinion, especially as the notice would be in addition to formal training.

[Psuedonym]

The Euro Shxxe s to be rejected??   

Oh hell, there must be a God after all. Looks like my Sunday mornings are booked up then....Praise be to BS....

[Psuedonym]

Back to the annoying Euro design standard :
One problem that may be a wee bit overlooked is the numebr of these signs "out" there in the real world. The ones dangling overhead are all made in China, by hundreds of companies supplying millions of units to thousands of suppliers within Europe from fire specialists to Argos - for example. Point being every man and his dog has them for sale to a massive market. This obviously means there is a massive stock out there which ain't gonna disapear overnight.
The emergency lights are specified and purchased on an availability at cost option (the supplier only stock what is available to him), not a design specification and its a long time before any concentious or intellegent fire protection personage points out the issues by which time its too late.
Unfortunately these things are with us for some time to come yet so don't be too worried about missing them.