Signage (ii)

• 'Fire Action Notice'
• 'Fire Point'
• 'Hose Reel'
• 'Fire Alarm Call Point'
• 'Fire Assembly Point'
• 'Disabled Refuge'

Escape routes should not incorporate any obstacle to their use, so instruction signs such as 'Push to Open', 'Break Glass to Open' or 'Press Switch to Open' must be provided where necessary.

Some signage is only required where the layout of the premises makes identification difficult; signs indicating the position of call points, extinguishers (often combined to make a 'Fire Point') are examples of this. Signs describing the type and correct use of extinguishers at a particular location are not obligatory, though many employees find these a useful and reassuring 'aide-memoire'.

However it is advisable to signpost assembly points (as well as describing them in the Fire Action Notice) and disabled refuge areas.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and the Fire Risk Assessment may well suggest further opportunities for effective use of signs. Where doubt exists, talk to colleagues and visitors, and decide whether any guidance or clarification is required.