Chapter 9: ENSURING THAT MEANS OF ESCAPE CAN BE USED

169. Means of escape and protected escape routes should be provided with effective lighting to allow persons to safely use these routes in the event of a fire occurring or in the event of failure of the normal lighting power supply. Signs and notices should be provided to help people identify escape routes, find fire-fighting equipment, or to provide specific information or warning about particular equipment, doors, rooms or procedures.

170. Employees, long-term residents and tenants can reasonably be expected to have an understanding of the layout of the premises, while guests and visitors will have no knowledge of alternative escape routes.

171. This chapter considers:

• Escape route lighting;
• Signs; and
• Notices.

Escape Route Lighting

172. The premises should be provided with lighting to the extent necessary to ensure that, in the event of an outbreak of fire within the building, illumination is provided to assist in escape and in implementing the emergency fire action plan. The following are benchmarks against which existing provision can be compared.

173. Every part of an escape route should have artificial lighting supplied by a protected circuit. However, in simple premises where borrowed lighting (for example, from fixed street lights) is found to be inappropriate following a fire safety risk assessment, it may be more appropriate to rely on self-contained lighting luminaries than to install a protected circuit to an existing lighting system.

174. If there are escape routes that are not permanently illuminated, such as external stairs, then a switch, clearly marked ‘Escape route lighting’, or some other means of switching on the lighting should be provided at the entry to that area unless there is sufficient borrowed lighting already available.

175. Escape route lighting should normally be installed to cover the following:

• Each exit door;
• Escape routes;
• Intersections of corridors;
• Outside each final exit and on external escape routes;
• Emergency escape signs;
• Staircases so that each flight receives adequate light;
• Changes in floor level;
• Windowless rooms and toilet accommodation exceeding 8 m˛ (excluding en-suite facilities);
• Fire-fighting equipment;
• Fire alarm call points;
• Equipment that would need to be shut down in an emergency; and
• Lifts.

176. The lighting should comply with the illumination levels specified in BS 5266: Part 1 as read in association with Part 7 and 8 (BS EN 1838).

177. Escape route lighting can be stand-alone dedicated units or incorporated into normal light fittings. Power supplies can be rechargeable batteries integral to each unit, a central battery bank or an automatic generator. Single ‘stand-alone’ escape route lighting units may be sufficient in some premises and these can sometimes be combined with exit or directional exit signs. The level of general illumination should not be significantly reduced by the sign.

Signs

178. In premises where there is only one escape route and the location of the escape route and fire-fighting equipment are readily apparent then fire signs may not be necessary. Where there are two escape routes a single sign indicating an alternative exit may be all that is needed. In other cases, a series of signs may be needed to indicate the direction of escape routes. The following are benchmarks against which existing provision can be compared.

179. Escape route signs should meet the following criteria:

• If the escape route to the nearest exit is not obvious then it should be indicated by a sign(s);
• They should provide clear, unambiguous instruction with enough information to enable people to safely leave a building in an emergency;
• Every escape route sign should, where necessary, incorporate a directional arrow. Arrows should not be used on their own;
• Escape route and exit signs should not be fixed to doors as they will not be visible if the door is open;
• Signs mounted above doors should be at a height of between 2 m and 2.5 m above the floor. Signs on walls should be mounted between 1.7 m and 2 m above the floor.

180. Signs should be in pictogram form, the pictogram can be supplemented by text if this is considered necessary to make the sign easily understood, but an escape route sign should not use only text. Guidance is available in BS 5499: Parts 4 and 5.

181. In multi-occupied premises, co-operation between the respective occupiers, including, if necessary, the owner or landlord/managing agent should be sought to ensure that, as far as possible, all signs in the building conform to a single pattern or scheme. Where an exit cannot be seen or where a person escaping may be in doubt about an escape route, signs with directional arrows should be provided along the route.

182. Other safety signs should be provided to indicate non-automatic fire safety equipment if there is any doubt about its location, such as fire extinguishers that are kept in cabinets or in recesses. A number of other signs may also be necessary, such as:

• ‘Fire door keep shut’ or ‘Fire door keep locked shut’ on fire doors;
• How to operate the locking devices on doors;
• Location of sprinkler stop valve; and
• Not to use lift in event of fire.

183. All signs and notices should be illuminated to ensure they are conspicuous and legible.

Notices

184. Notices are used to provide instructions on how to use any fire safety equipment, the actions to be taken in the event of fire, and to help the Fire and Rescue Service.

185. Notices containing details of the emergency fire action plan specific to the premises should be permanently displayed in appropriate positions throughout the building. A distinction may be required between notices that are designed for visitors or guests/residents/tenants as opposed to those for staff. Notices giving full instruction for staff should also be displayed on staff notice boards. Notices for guests/residents/tenants should normally be provided in each bedroom and in common areas, where appropriate.

186. If premises regularly accommodate people whose first language is not English there may be a need to consider providing instruction in appropriate languages.