A fire evacuation sign is any sign that apprises building occupants of the proper method of evacuation or provides them with information that assists them in achieving the proper evacuation. For this reason, manufacturers of fire evacuation signage often sell a variety of signs under the description “fire evacuation sign”, some of which may be relevant to one building and not another. For example, some buildings feature fire escape windows and some don’t. However, there are certain types of fire evacuation signs that all commercial and residential R1 buildings should possess to ensure the safety of their occupants, as well as protect their owners against lawsuits that can result from casualties and/or serious injuries: in case of fire signs, assisted rescue area signs, floor identification signs and emergency exit signs.
In Case of Fire Signs
In case of fire signs can refer to various situations. But if your building has elevators, you should implement incase of fire signs that direct building occupants to use exit stairwells and not elevators to evacuate. Under normal conditions, everyone knows that elevators are unsafe for fire evacuations. But under the stress that comes with building fires, an elevator in a smoke filled hall can seem like an oasis. By telling evacuees to use stairwells and not elevators, you may prevent deaths that bring the added tragedy of catastrophic lawsuits.
Assisted Rescue Area Signs
An assisted rescue area sign is a fire safety sign that indicates a safe area where building occupants that can’t traverse stairwells can be helped by a mechanical lift or assisted by building personnel or firefighters. Even if no one in your building is physically indisposed, assisted area rescue signs should be mounted for the benefit of building visitors.
Floor Identification Signs
The International Fire Code (IFC), which governs egress safety in existing buildings and has been adopted by 42 states, requires that commercial and R1 residential buildings that feature occupancy at above 75 feet from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access mount a floor identification sign at each floor landing within an exit stairwell. Among other information, the signs indicate floor level, the number of floors between a floor level, the building exit and the direction that evacuees should travel to reach the exit. Even if you own a building in a state that hasn’t adopted a version of the IFC, implementing floor identification signs is still crucial to evacuation safety.
Emergency Exit Symbols
There are numerous types of emergency exit symbols. But the one that you want mounted on the exit leading doors in your exit stairwells is a running man sign. A running man sign is simplistic, but therein lay its power. The running direction of the sign’s stick figure-either up, down, left or right-indicates what direction evacuates should travel when they pass through an exit leading door, making the signs’ impossible to misread or misinterpret.
Tags: Fire Evacuation, Rescue Fast