Visual communication is important for navigation, evacuation messaging, facility-wide warnings, and essential worksite notices—including fire safety. Improve fire safety in your facility by implementing a visual communication strategy that includes floor markings, signs, safety symbols, and consistent training. In an emergency, a comprehensive fire safety strategy can save lives. When creating a visual communication plan that complies with the fire code, consider OSHA and ANSI requirements and facility-specific needs.
How to Properly Mark Fire Equipment and Emergency Exits
Exit signs are familiar, but other cues are also important in an emergency. These methods aren’t exhaustive, and all floor markings and signs must comply with OSHA specifications and fire code requirements—but consider these common visual cues for fire safety communication in industrial facilities or public locations.
Fire Extinguisher Signs
Fire extinguisher signage guidelines state that they should be identified, but exact requirements are vague: According to NFPA, fire extinguisher signs should be easily visible from the normal path of travel. This is often interpreted via a wall- or ceiling-mount sign indicating where a fire extinguisher is stored. And, while OSHA does not require floor markings for fire extinguishers, pre-cut fire extinguisher signs are an easy way to indicate the location of important safety equipment and remind everyone to keep the area clear and accessible as indicated by OSHA standards.
Emergency Assembly Point Signs
An effective emergency response plan, as outlined by OSHA, should include a gathering place for employees to meet and be accounted for after evacuation. Mark assembly points on your building’s exterior “ Label an outside Emergency Assembly Point to ensure all employees and visitors gather in the appropriate location in case of evacuation.
Other Fire Exit Visual Cues
A facility’s Emergency Action Plan should include marking and maintaining emergency exit routes and discharge locations. When marking exits for fire safety, focus on required floor markings and signage for emergency evacuations, then improve visual communication with other facility-specific signals where necessary.
- Glow-in-the-dark floor marking tape can improve visibility in dim areas or in case of a power outage or heavy smoke.
- Clear directional signage and floor markings make emergency exits easy to locate.
- “Not An Exit” signs ensure that any doorways that lead away from the exit route are clearly labeled to prevent confusion.
- “Do Not Block” floor marking kits installed near exits help improve compliance with clearance requirements for speedy evacuation.
- Footprints, arrows, and other floor marking shapes work together with other emergency signage to mark exit routes and traffic flow that’s easy to understand at a glance.
Designing Fire Safety Signs
OSHA, ANSI, and NFPA guidelines guide you in creating fire safety floor markings, signage, and other visual cues. Consider these important elements of effective, standard-compliant OSHA fire safety signs:
Color
Facility-wide color standards help communicate important information and reduce confusion. While there are few provisions for which colors are used, fire-related visual cues have specific color requirements. According to OSHA, the color red designates fire safety equipment, “such as fire extinguishers and emergency switches,” and should be used “to mark fire hazards [and] flammable liquids.” Similarly, ANSI guidelines recommend red for hazards such as flammable liquids.
Red markings can be used to label:
- Fire extinguisher locations
- Fire protection equipment
- Fire alarms
- Emergency exit directional cues
- Do Not Enter or No Exit notices
- Flammable liquid or other hazards
- Emergency stop switches
- Evacuation information
- Outdoor fire lanes
- Fire door rating and inspection labels
Accessibility
Not all visual cues for fire safety require accessibility considerations, but some do. Specifically, both the International Building Code (IBC) and Americans With Disabilities Act mandate tactile and visual signs at “doors at exit [or egress] stairways, exit passageways, and exit discharge.”¹ Our Braille signs include compliant raised letters, Braille characters, and visuals to meet IBC and ADA requirements for exit routes and permanent spaces; hang them at 48” to 60” from the ground to adhere to established standards.
Language
Consider which languages you should use for your messages: Install bilingual or multilingual signs and safety messaging to include any languages spoken in your facility. Work to further prevent language barriers on signs and floor tape by supplementing text with universally recognized symbols or graphics that communicate the same message.
Size
Exit signs and signs identifying fire safety equipment should be highly visible. In addition to requiring that Exit Signs be illuminated internally or externally, NFPA 101 (7.10.1.8) also outlines minimum sizing for the characters on the sign to ensure optimal visibility, and similar requirements for exit signs, fire extinguisher signs, and fire alarm signs adhere to ADA standards for optimal accessibility.
Other Considerations for Improved Fire Safety
Effective fire safety protocols involve more than just a safe response—training and preparation are equally important. Consider these other important fire safety factors, including fire prevention to fire safety procedures in school and childcare facilities.
Visual Cues for Fire Prevention
Fire response is not the only element of fire safety: Improve safety by preventing fires in the first place. Use signage and floor markings to mitigate hazards that lead to fires.
- Organizational signage encourages employees to put tools, machinery, trash, and other items where they belong—which helps prevent the buildup of combustible materials, such as packing materials and boxes, sawdust, plastics, and industrial scraps.
- Apply appropriate GHS labels to comply with Hazard Communication Standard requirements for labeling hazardous, flammable, or combustible materials. Ensure pipes that contain flammable liquid or gas are clearly marked, following OSHA or ANSI pipe marking standards for color-coding, flow direction marking, and required text.
- Use red to label fire hazards such as combustible or flammable liquids, gasses, or materials.
School and Childcare Facility Fire Safety Considerations
Fire safety education starts with the youngest grades, but a fire safety plan is lacking without clear visual cues that children can understand. Young children may not be proficient at reading, but they can understand the association between specific colors and graphics, especially when taught what to look for. While any fire safety plans in schools and childcare facilities must comply with state and federal requirements, school plans often include:
- Posted instructions for how to proceed when the fire alarm goes off, including a map to the designated meeting point.
- Kid-friendly posters with fire safety reminders, especially signs that pair bold graphics with color and text so reading isn’t a requirement.
- Pavement markings outside the school to designate evacuation assembly points.
- Fire safety education including evacuation drills to prepare kids and teachers for emergencies.
Inspections and Maintenance
Regular inspections and maintenance are essential in any lean or 5S workplace to ensure continuous improvement throughout your facility—but are especially important for fire equipment and other safety tools and processes. Regularly monitor exit routes to ensure they remain clear from obstructions; inspect floor tape and markings for rips, fading, or other signs of wear and tear; and check power sources for illuminated exit signs and other powered fire equipment. By inspecting, repairing, and replacing your fire safety messaging often, your facility will be better equipped for efficient response during a fire emergency.
Appropriate response during a fire-related emergency depends on visual cues, established procedures, and safety drills. Proper training and accompanying visual cues are important in a fire safety program, but all emergency response methods must meet fire code and related industrial safety standards. Explore our Resource Center for more information about visual cues for safety.
Sources:
- https://www.access-board.gov/ada/guides/chapter-4-accessible-means-of-egress/
