New Fire Safety Regulations in England

If you are responsible for fire safety in a building you need to be aware of recent changes in the regulations. In the wake of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report, some important revisions to the existing fire safety regulations came into force in England on 23 January 2023. These mainly impact multi-occupied residential buildings that have at least five storeys or are at least 11 metres in height. There is new guidance about fire-doors and additional duties are placed on any person, or persons, responsible for fire safety in buildings in this category.

The most significant regulatory change from a fire safety signage perspective is that fire-door safety information must now be provided to all building residents.The core legislation that underpins the UK Government’s fire safety regulations is the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. They are an amendment to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Fire Safety Order).
Please click here to read the Government’s Fact Sheet about the regulatory changes.

Carry Out an Audit of your Fire Safety Signage

Because the fire safety regulations have changed, this is a good time for anyone responsible for fire safety signage in a building to familiarise themselves with the revised regulations. We suggest carrying out an “audit” of your fire safety signage. If you identify any shortcomings, you will need to order and install additional signage where this is now required by the regulations.

Why Fire Safety Signage is So Important

It’s hard to overstate the importance of having good fire safety signage in place. It’s signage which guides people and helps them to escape quickly to safety in the event of a fire emergency. If you should ever find yourself in an unfamiliar building, and a fire breaks out, you will rely on the building’s fire safety signage to guide you safely away from harm.

Fire Safety Signage – Key Principles

There are several key principles which underpin an effective fire safety signage approach:
-Fire safety signs should always be clear and unambiguous.
-Escape routes and doors must be clearly marked as such.
-Exit routes should have comprehensive escape route signage, including direction arrows, displayed all along the way.
-Fire safety signs should be illuminated – they need to be seen and be legible even during power outages.
-Final exit doors should have prominent signage that contains the words “Exit” or “Fire Exit” or else feature the image of a running man.
-Fire-fighting equipment must be suitably identified with signage.
-The Disability Discrimination Act requires those responsible for fire safety to make “reasonable adjustments” for the disabled. This means displaying braille and tactile fire safety signage in tandem with the standard signage.

Common Types of Fire Safety Signage

We’ve summarised below the main categories of fire safety signs:

Emergency Escape Signs – should an emergency occur, any business premises or high-rise building of any type should have easily identifiable escape routes. Good signage supports the safe and efficient evacuation of a building. 

Fire Equipment Signs – these show the location of all fire equipment in a building – fire-alarms, hose reels or any other fire equipment which may need to be used in an emergency.

Fire Exit Signs (and NHS Fire Exit Signs) – these indicate to all occupants of a building where their nearest fire exit is and are a key component of the Health & Safety signage in any building or place of work. NHS Fire Exit signs are specifically tailored to the workplace and estate management requirements of the NHS. 
Fire Extinguisher Identification Signs – these identify the location and type of fire extinguishers available in any building. The usually specify what material(s) the fire extinguisher can and cannot be used on.
Refuge Point Signs – these highlight fire escape routes and refuge areas in a building in the event of a fire.

Warning Signs – these must be displayed to warn employees, visitors and the general public about potential hazards in an area in the event of a fire.

High Quality Fire Safety Signage from British Safety Signs

If you have responsibility for ensuring that the correct fire safety signage is in place in a building or business premises, British Safety Signs has all the signage you need. We produce a wide range of high quality safety signage, all manufactured in-house and using state-of-the-art printing technology. From the smallest business premises to the tallest high rise building, we have you covered.

To see our full range of fire safety signage, please click here. If you don’t see the sign(s) you’re looking for, please contact us. Our technicians will be pleased to design and manufacture a sign that meets your specific needs.