Fire Exit Signs and Fire Safety Signage
Clear fire exit signs help people find the way out of a building quickly, including visitors who have never been inside it before. We supply and install complete fire safety signage schemes for workplaces, schools, care homes and shops, from the first escape route sign to the last fire door notice.
This page gives general information only. It is not legal advice: the signs your premises need are set by your fire risk assessment, which is the responsibility of the building's responsible person.
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Keeping signs consistent and up to date
Fire safety signs work best when they all follow the same design, so people recognise them instantly. Exit signs use green with white pictograms, fire equipment signs use red, and mandatory signs such as Fire Door Keep Shut use blue. We keep sizes, pictograms and wording consistent across every floor, and avoid mixing old text-only signs with modern pictogram signs, which can confuse people in an emergency.
Buildings change. Partitions move, doors are added and rooms change use, and any of these can alter an escape route. When your fire risk assessment is reviewed, we can survey again and update the signage to match, replacing faded or damaged signs at the same time. Keeping a copy of the sign schedule makes each review quicker, because you can see at a glance which sign is where and why it is there.
What a fire safety signage scheme covers
- Fire exit and escape route signs: the green running-man signs with directional arrows that lead people from any point to a final exit.
- Fire action notices: what to do if you discover a fire or hear the alarm, placed by call points and in common areas.
- Fire door signs: Fire Door Keep Shut, Fire Door Keep Locked and Automatic Fire Door notices.
- Fire equipment signs: identifying extinguishers, hose reels, alarm call points and assembly points.
Surveyed, not guessed
A sign pack bought online rarely matches a real building. On a free site survey we walk the escape routes with you, work from your fire risk assessment and note every change of direction, door and stairway, so each sign is placed where someone would actually look for it. You then receive a clear schedule of signs and positions before anything is made.
Photoluminescent and illuminated options
If the lights fail, an escape sign still needs to be seen. Photoluminescent signs absorb light and glow in the dark for a period after the power goes, and are a common choice for stairwells and corridors. Where your assessment calls for illuminated exit signs, those are normally part of the emergency lighting system, which is designed and installed by an electrician; we make sure the rest of the signage scheme is consistent with it.
Materials and fixing
Fire safety signs are produced on rigid plastic, self-adhesive vinyl or aluminium depending on where they go. Self-adhesive versions suit fire doors and smooth walls; rigid signs suit corridors and suspended fixings, and aluminium suits outdoor assembly points.
Fire Exit Signs: Questions and Answers
Do fire exit signs need to be illuminated?
Not always. Escape signs must be visible at all times, including if normal lighting fails, so many buildings use exit signs that are lit by the emergency lighting system, while others use photoluminescent signs in suitable locations. Your fire risk assessment should set out what your building needs.
Who is responsible for fire safety signs?
The responsible person for the premises, usually the employer, owner or managing agent, is responsible for fire safety, including signage identified in the fire risk assessment. We supply and install the signs; the assessment and the decision on what is required stay with the responsible person.
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