European Format vs British Format Fire Exit Signs

What Are the Differences Between the European and British Formats?

European Format Signs (92/58/EEC)

European format signs (92/58/EEC) are identifiable by the separation of the symbols for the person escaping and the doorway. This sign is made up of four distinct segments – the 'Fire Exit' text, the running person symbol, the door symbol, and the directional arrow. The arrow indicating direction is notably less bold than on the British Standard signs.

Released in mid-1992, the directive introduced a duty "on the minimum requirements for the provision of safety and/or health signs at work". Annex II of this document offers graphical examples of the signs required, along with a written requirement for emergency escape signs to be "rectangular or square shape", as well as featuring a "white pictogram on a green background (the green part to take up at least 50% of the area of the sign)".

British Format Signs (BS EN ISO 7010:2012+A7:2017)

British format signs (BS EN ISO 7010: 2012+A7: 2017) are identifiable by the graphic representing a person running through a doorway. This sign is made up of three distinct segments – the 'Fire Exit' text, the person and doorway symbol, and the directional arrow. The arrow indicating direction is notably bolder than on the European signs.

The introduction of this international standard created a potential contradiction with some sections of the already existing BS 5499 family of standards. As such, parts 1, 5, 6, and 11 of BS 5499 were withdrawn, and parts 4 and 10 were rewritten to work in harmony with the new international standard. Beginning life as a draft in 2003, meaning manufacturers had numerous of years to anticipate its adoption at the European and British levels.

Do I Require Fire Exit Signs?

There are a number of documents giving guidance on the way fire exit signage should be managed. Those in a position of responsibility and authority relating to fire safety will have heard of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (or RRFSO), as this is a legally binding guidance when it comes to fire safety in non-domestic / commercial premises. The RRFSO includes the following, succinct requirement in relation to emergency exit signs: "Emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs" RRFSO Section 14 (2) (g).

The expectation for fire exit signs is emphasised by the following quote from BS 5499-4: 2013: "To avoid confusion, all signs within a system of escape route signing should be of a similar style, design, size and format." BS 5499-4: 2013 Safety Signs. Code of Practice for Escape Route Signage.

Which Type of Fire Exit Sign Should I Use?

Looking at the relevant Standards and legislation, explained below, we can draw the following summary for fire exit signs:

• Most fire exit signs purchased within the last 10 years are likely to be compliant to the new BS EN ISO 7010 standard and all legislation, other than those purchased specifically for older existing buildings
• The requirement of the law is quite loose and only describes some minimum requirements, currently accepting both 'European' and 'British' signs
• Clear and consistent fire exit signs must be provided within a building
• New buildings should ideally be equipped with BS EN ISO 7010 signs

While the legislation isn't highly specific regarding the design, it is important to ensure that your signs are clear and consistent throughout your building to comply with your fire safety duties. This way, if people are required to evacuate the building due to an emergency, they are able to do so by following the reassuringly familiar guidance signs.

To purchase fire exit signs, or for further advice, contact our customer support team on 0800 612 6537 or via support@safelincs.co.uk.

An Explanation and History of the Standards and Legislation

At this stage, there is a requirement for fire exit signs, however the recommended design for the signs has not been specified. Unfortunately, there is a lot of old, confusing, and often contradictory information online about various Standards and designs for fire exit signs.

There are a range of advisory standards which define the design and placement of these signs:

• BS 5499-4: 2013 – Safety Signs. Code of Practice for escape route signing
• BS 5499-10: 2014 – Guidance for the selection and use of safety signs and fire safety notices
• BS EN ISO 7010: 2012+A7: 2017 – Graphical Symbols. Safety colours and safety signs. Registered safety signs
• BS ISO 3864-1: 2011 – Graphic Symbols. Safety colours and safety signs. Design principles for safety signs and safety markings
• BS ISO 16069: 2017 – Graphical Symbols. Safety signs. Safety Way Guidance Systems (SWGS)

For the purpose of discussing the relevance of the documents listed above, it is important to explain the prefixes in their titles:

• BS – British Standard
• EN – European Norm (i.e. European Standard)
• ISO – International Organisation for Standardisation (i.e. International Standard)

Some confusion can arise as some of the documents have a combination of these acronyms as a prefix!

The simplest way to absorb this information is to consider the letters used before the numerical values as implying layers of adoptions. For example, documents carrying the ISO tag will have begun as an international standard, developed for use within the 162 member countries of that organisation. These standards can then be adopted by regional or local standard bodies (or both) later down the line, and in turn can lead to the document carrying all three sets of initials, in such cases as the BS EN ISO 7010.

To ensure that international or regional standards are not duplicated or contradictory to the existing national standards, there are mechanisms in place to ensure that all standards are harmonious. This includes rules to ensure that any duplicating standards at the local or regional levels are withdrawn once international standards have been adopted.

All of the above standards are advisory in nature, or a recommendation for best practice. They themselves are not laws, but are an acceptable standard within a legal context. To fully understand, "Which fire exit signs should I use?", we need to consider the laws concerned.

The EEC Directive: 92/58/EEC began most of the uncertainty regarding fire exit signs. Released in mid-1992, the directive introduced a duty "on the minimum requirements for the provision of safety and/or health signs at work". Annex II of this document offers graphical examples of the signs required, along with a written requirement for emergency escape signs to be "rectangular or square shape", as well as featuring a "white pictogram on a green background (the green part to take up at least 50% of the area of the sign)".

The directive was then effectively transferred into British legislation with the creation of The Health & Safety (Safety Signs & Signals) Regulations 1996. This specific piece of legislation deals with the provision of fire exit signs and is enforceable by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive). This legislation exists in partnership with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with both imparting a duty to provide fire exit signs. The specification found in the H&S Regulations includes a requirement for the sign to be: "rectangular or square shape" and feature a "white pictogram on a green background (the green part to take up to at least 50% of the area of the sign)". The document offers a range of examples complying either with BS EN ISO 7010 or the EEC Directive.

BS EN ISO 7010: 2012+A7: 2017 was published in August 2011. The introduction of this international standard created a potential contradiction with some sections of the already existing BS 5499 family of standards. As such, parts 1, 5, 6, and 11 of BS 5499 were withdrawn, and parts 4 and 10 were rewritten to work in harmony with the new international standard.

BS EN ISO 7010 began life as a draft in 2003, meaning manufacturers had numerous of years to anticipate its adoption at the European and British levels. In light of this, manufacturers have had time to ensure that their fire exit signs are futureproof, and therefore minimising any difficulties of transitioning to the International Standard.

To purchase fire exit signs, or for further advice, contact our customer support team on 0800 612 6537 or via support@safelincs.co.uk.

Reviewed: 22/02/2023 (doc:65 V2.0). Our articles are reviewed regularly. However, any changes made to standards or legislation following the review date will not have been considered. Please note that we provide abridged, easy-to-understand guidance. To make detailed decisions about your fire safety provisions, you might require further advice or need to consult the full standards and legislation.