Do fire exit signs have to be illuminated?
Not always — but often, in practice. There is no blanket rule that every fire exit sign in England must light up. The law requires emergency routes and exits to be indicated by signs, and routes that need illumination to have emergency lighting that works if the normal lighting fails.
So the real question is whether the sign can still be seen and read when the power goes off. Where an escape route needs emergency lighting, the exit signs on it must stay legible in a mains failure, which usually means an internally lit emergency exit sign or a sign lit by emergency lighting. Whether your premises need that is decided by the responsible person's fire risk assessment.
What does the law say about fire exit signs?
In England, fire safety in most non-domestic premises falls under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Article 14 requires emergency routes and exits to be indicated by signs, and emergency routes and exits that require illumination to have emergency lighting of adequate intensity in case the normal lighting fails.
The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 set the form of safety signs at work: escape route signs are green rectangles or squares with a white pictogram. The Regulations also say that signs needing power must have an emergency supply in a power cut, and that phosphorescent colours, reflective materials or artificial lighting should be used where natural light is poor.
Who decides whether a fire exit sign needs to be lit?
The responsible person, through the fire risk assessment. That is usually the employer, the owner or whoever is in control of the premises. The assessment looks at who uses the building and when, how they would get out, and what happens if the lights fail.
A shop that trades in daylight with a short, obvious route to the street may reach a different answer from a basement bar, a cinema or a hotel corridor with no windows. Because the decision carries legal weight, use a competent fire risk assessor, particularly for larger, busier or more complicated premises.
How does emergency lighting affect exit signs?
Emergency escape lighting is covered by BS 5266-1, the code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises. Where the risk assessment says an escape route needs emergency lighting, BS 5266-1 expects the exit and escape route signs on it to be lit so they stay legible when the mains supply fails.
There are two common ways to do that. An internally illuminated emergency exit sign lights its own face, from a built-in battery or a central battery system. Alternatively, a non-illuminated sign can be lit by an emergency light fitted close to it. Both are electrical installations, and they should be designed, installed and tested by a competent electrical contractor.
Are photoluminescent fire exit signs acceptable?
Photoluminescent signs absorb light and glow for a while after the lights go out. They need no wiring and no battery. They can be acceptable in some situations — for example as extra way guidance, or where the fire risk assessment concludes they give enough visibility for the people and the route involved.
They have limits. They need enough light falling on them to charge, their glow fades over time, and they do not replace emergency lighting where emergency lighting is required. Whether a photoluminescent sign is acceptable in a given spot is a decision for the fire risk assessment, not a choice to make on cost when ordering.
Which symbol should a fire exit sign use?
Current fire exit signs use the running-man pictogram from ISO 7010, published in the UK as BS EN ISO 7010: a white figure moving through a doorway on a green background, paired with a directional arrow where one is needed. BS 5499-4 gives guidance on escape route signing, including where signs go and how arrows are used.
Older styles are still found in plenty of buildings. The rule that matters most is consistency. Do not mix styles along the same escape route, because that confuses people at exactly the moment clarity counts. If you are replacing signs, replace the route as a set.
How often should fire exit signs be checked?
Signs and emergency lighting have to be kept in working order. Under the Fire Safety Order the responsible person must make sure fire safety facilities and equipment are maintained, and BS 5266-1 sets out a routine of regular testing for emergency lighting, illuminated exit signs included, with records kept.
Printed signs need checking too. Faded, damaged or hidden signs are a common finding in fire risk assessments. Walk the escape routes regularly and look for signs blocked by stock, displays or new partitions, signs that point the wrong way after a layout change, and lit signs that are dim or out. Write down what you checked and when.
Where does BD Signs fit in?
BD Signs makes signage in its own factory in Nottingham and fits it UK-wide. We do not carry out fire risk assessments, and we do not design or certify fire safety, alarm or emergency lighting systems.
The sensible order is this. Your fire risk assessment, by the responsible person or a competent fire risk assessor, sets out what signs and lighting each route needs. A competent electrical contractor handles any emergency lighting. Your interior signage — menus, wall graphics, directional signs — is then planned so it never hides or competes with the safety signs.
Sources
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 14: emergency routes and exits
- The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, schedule 1
- BS 5266-1 Emergency lighting. Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises (BSI)
- BS EN ISO 7010 Graphical symbols. Safety colours and safety signs. Registered safety signs (BSI)
- Fire safety risk assessment: offices and shops (GOV.UK)
- Fire safety in the workplace (GOV.UK)
General information, not legal advice. Laws and standards change, so check the sources above for the current position.