Exit signs on stairwells

[kngc]

Am I correct in saying that as part of the Reg Reform Act any change in floor level requires a fire exit directional sign showing the way to the final exit?

[Ian Rienewerf]

No, not excactly.
However, the top of an exit stairway, and it's change of direction would need to be identified.

Emergency routes and exits
14. —(2) (g) emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs;

So it's not specific to any changes in floor level, and not because of the RRO.
(these requirements would have been in place prior to 2005)

[kngc]

Okay - to explain better;

5 Storey building with basement. Exit stairwell has NO fire exit signage at all nor does it have floor numbers. Arguably you would realise that the reception floor would be an obvious exit route however in a blind panic or if you were unfamiliar with the property, you could easily end up in the basement which has no additional exit.

This must be covered in legislation somewhere, as the landlord is chosing the 'I'm not sticking signs everywhere' approach as it will look "untidy"

Any suggestions / answers - I wouldn't mind so much but I have done the NEBOSH fire and still can't find a definitive answer

Cheers

[Ian Rienewerf]

Emergency routes and exits
14. —(2) (g) emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs;

[Messy]

Slight caveat to that, is that in the FSO, the term 'Where necessary" virtually always proceeds the word 'must'. (and certainly does so in Article 14)

What does this mean?

Consider a single staircase with no lift. This means that a punter would have already gone up the only route to the upper floor - therefore the only route out. Is signage necessary? perhaps not.

In affect this means that if the staircase in question is a single staircase (the only one in the building) and is an obvious, simple layout - few (if any) signs would be required. If there's a lift and the MOE route is complicated, signs may be required.

Where an alternative MOE is in place (2nd stairs) that will almost certainly need signage as a punter may have no knowledge of the alternative exit route

In the case mentioned, if there is a chance that those descending may proceed to the basement rather than leaving the stairs at the ground floor, I'd argue that this falls into the 'where necessary' category" & signage will be required to avoid confusion.

Hope this makes sense (it's been a long day!!)

[kngc]

Cheers - helps indeed - long days are what its about :-)

[Reddwarf]

There may also be a need to have a sign on each level or at least can be seen from each level to indicate they still need to descend given as you say there are no floor numbers. But may investigate if they can exit at another level wasting time. As messy says it will depend on the users of the building and the layout, staff are likely to know how many floors there are and how many they need to descend to the ground floor a member of the public wouldn't and would want re-assurance they are heading in the right direction. if i had descended 3 floors and hadn't seen any fire signage i would be a tad concerned i was heading to safety.


it's funny how people see fire safety signs as being untidy but quite happily live with rubbish stacked up in the workplace and blocked fire exits as not being an issue

Red

[Ian Rienewerf]

Also - the regs say that signage (where neccessary) is only for the emergency exits.
By definition, the front door isn't an emergency exit under normal circumstances.
Thererfore, it might be exempt if the responsible person (the landlord) can justify that no signage is required.
The devil is in the detail.

[Messy]

Also - the regs say that signage (where neccessary) is only for the emergency exits.
By definition, the front door isn't an emergency exit under normal circumstances.
.

Good point Ian. My local newsagent has just (last week) installed a hanging EL/Fire exit sign over their front door - the only way in/out of the shop. Plus it hangs about 6' off of the floor level, which is a tad low. When I asked the shopkeeper why, apparently the Council insisted as part of a alcohol license application (jobsworths)

[johnbone]

Hi,
Any staricase flight that does not lead to an eventual "final exit" (e.g. some basements) should be signed as "NO EXIT" and the safe "FIRE EXIT" cleary signed at the relevant landing. Most Fire Authorities would ask / require that floors are "labeled" so that their officers can locate themselves and the possible source of a fire when it is reported to them it is up of the third floor.

John Bone, MBEng, BSc Hons

[kevlarion]

From past experience when a building owner doesn't want unsightly green signs around their nice modern stainless steel wood and glass staircase they can be persuaded to put an elegant 8" x 8" sign with the floor number on it and a small "exit" sign with an arrow pointing down the stairs (or up the stairs).
It's not the standard fire exit sign but on the grounds that something is better than nothing perhaps it would help.

Another option might be to put the information on an "index" sign at each stairwell showing what is on each floor and including the all important exit information. You might even squeeze in the fire exit symbol on those.

Five floors up I would hope that there are at least two stair cases, if a fire compromises one then there should be another. If the other stair cases aren't as glam as the main one you could designate them the fire escape routes and have signs in the less glamerous ones.

[johnbone]

No where in the regulatory reform order does it say "unless the owner does not want to"....

John Bone, MBEng, BSc Hons, ICIOB