BSI & ISO Standards

Standards & International Standards

This page aims to assist those in fire safety management with guidance, legislation requirements and recommendations on good safety signing practices. Those interested in improving health and safety issues in the workplace might also find the information provided here useful.

Standards & Legislation:
JALITE photoluminescent signs and products are designed in conformance with British and International Standards. Below is a list of standards that you might find useful when searching for references. Certificates of conformity are available upon requests.
BS5499-4 Safety signs, including fire safety signs - Part 4: Code of practice for escape route signing.
BS5499-5 Graphical symbols and signs - Safety signs, including fire safety signs - Part 5: Sings with specific safety meaning.
BS5499-1 Graphical symbols and signs - Safety signs, including fire safety signs - Part 1: Specification for geometric shapes colours and layout.
BS ISO 17398 Safety colours and safety signs - Classification, performance and durability of safety signs.
BS ISO 16069 Graphical symbols - Safety signs - Safety way guidance systems (SWGS)
ISO 7010 Graphical symbols - Safety colours and safety signs - Safety signs used in workplaces and public areas.
ISO 9186 Graphical symbols. Test methods for judged comprehensibility and for comprehension.
DIN 67 510 Part 1 Deutsche Normen Standard. Test method for luminance performance.
DIN 67 510 Part 4 Deutsche Normen Standard. Luminance performance requirements for photoluminescent materials.
Accreditation:
	International Organization for Standardization	Lloyd's Register Type Approval
	British Standards Institution	Photoluminescent Safety Products Association
	Marine Equipment Directive	International Maritime Organization Marine Safety SOLAS Convention

Escape Route Location Signs :

Legislation states that, all emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs. Exit signs, Fire exit signs and safety way guidance components are the types of products that can be used to meet this legislation. These signs identify the direction of escape within the building.

Siting of Escape Route Location Signs:

Signs sited should show the shortest possible route to an exit from any point within the building. It should not be used in conjunction with, or near another directional sign that might conflict with the direction of travel.

It is also important that signs be sited at a comfortable eye-level so that it can be easily read. BS5499-4 gives a detailed guidance on this topic.

Choosing sign sizes :

All signs have a maximum viewing distance. This refers to the furthest distance a sign can be read from, legibly. A standard formula for calculating the maximum viewing distance for a particular size of sign can be found in BS5499-4.

The following example shows the difference in sizes for JALITE photoluminescent Fire exit signs, based on BS5499-4. This chart is also applicable for JALITE photoluminescent Exit signs.

Meanings of Arrows

Escape Route Signs are required at every decision making points to indicate, a change of level, change of direction and to identify escape doors. Below is a guidance from BS5499-4 on the meanings of these signs.

Guidance for an effective fire safety signing system:

Why the need for safety signs?

Safety signs are a requirement to protect the health and safety of the employees and anyone within the vicinity of the building. For an effective safety signing system, signs should be of similar style, design and format. A good way to achieve this, is to ensure that your signs conform to standards .

Why choose JALITE AAA photoluminescent signs and products?

Legislation states that all safety signs require illumination and must remain illuminated under a power loss. This requirement can be met by using JALITE AAA photoluminescent signs.

Which sign should I use and where?

According to guidance from British and International Standards, signs can be categorised into 8 main groups. Below is a brief description of each group.

1. Escape Route Location Signs
Escape route location signs are signs that identify the direction of travel to escape or exit within a building. NOTE: ''Exit'' signs indicate doorways or openings that leads to a place of safety. ''Fire exit'' signs are doorways or openings that have been specifically provided as an alternative exit to use in the event of an evacuation (A ''Fire exit'' may still be use during the day-to-day occupation of the premise).

2. Emergency Exit and Emergency Door Release Equipment Signs
Doors that have security devices, especially doors that are specifically used for escape should use signs to indicate its operating instructions . These signs speed egress and reduce evacuation time.

3. Safe Condition Signs
Safe condition signs is a category used by the Standards to categorise first aid equipment, location and emergency instructions for people with special needs. These signs should be prominently displayed.

4. Mandatory Notices
Mandatory notices help in preventing the spread of fire by informing building occupants of the mandatory requirements. These notices should be displayed prominently on both sides of the doors. They can be use as part of a formal fire safety training.
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5. Fire Action Charts
It is a legislation requirement that all building occupants must be informed of fire safety information and one of these would include instructions on what to do in the event of a fire. A good solution is by siting safety signs. Siting fire action charts conspicuously within the building would help to reinforce formal training and act as a constant reminder. It is recommended that you choose a fire action chart which is simple, includes a step-by-step instruction and one that uses graphical symbols from Standards to increase comprehension.

6. Fire Alarm and Fire-fighting Equipment Signs
Legislation requires that any non-automatic firefighting equipment (fire extinguishers, alarms etc..) provided, should be easy to access, simple to use and indicated by signs. You can meet this requirement by siting signs conspicuously above the equipment to locate, on the equipment to identify and if necessary, include a sign that has simple instructions on how to operate the equipment. Also, to greatly reduce risks of the inappropriate use of fire extinguishers, it is highly recommended that you include a fire extinguisher identification that shows the type of extinguisher and the type of fire it can or cannot be used on.

7. Hazardous Materials and Atmospheres Signs
Hazard warning signs are a legislation requirement, unless deemed unnecessary by a risk assessment. JALITE AAA Hazard Warning signs are designed according to guidance from both British and International Standards.

8. Prohibition Signs
Legislation states that, after a hazard has been identified and measures have been taken to inform occupants, an appropriate control measure should also be reinforced. JALITE AAA Prohibition signs are designed in conformance with both British and International Standards.