Fire safety signs: which signs you need and where they go

Whether office, warehouse, workshop, school or public authority: in the event of fire, everyone must know immediately where the nearest fire extinguisher is. Fire safety signs show exactly that. They mark fire extinguishers, fire alarm call points, fire hoses and fire ladders.

Here you can read which fire safety signs exist, which rules apply and what you should look for when buying.

What are fire safety signs?

Fire safety signs are red and square. The symbol on them is white. The signs are defined in the standard EN ISO 7010. Their code begins with F for fire. They are therefore part of the safety signs, just like warning, prohibition, mandatory and emergency signs.

The most important fire safety signs

• F001 Fire extinguisher – the most common sign in every business
• F002 Fire hose – shows the wall hydrant
• F003 Fire ladder
• F004 Collection of firefighting equipment
• F005 Fire alarm call point – the button for triggering the alarm
• F006 Fire emergency telephone

In addition, there are direction arrows. They show the way when the equipment cannot be seen directly.

Which regulations apply?

In workplaces in Germany, marking is mandatory. ASR A2.2 requires every fire extinguisher to be marked with the F001 sign. ASR A1.3 also regulates what the signs look like, how large they must be and where they are placed.

Three points are particularly important:

• Visibility: nothing may cover the sign. In long corridors, it must therefore be visible in the direction of travel.
• Size: it depends on the viewing distance. A sign measuring 150 × 150 mm can be recognised from up to 15 m.
• Darkness: without safety lighting, the signs must also be recognisable during a power failure.

You can read all details on size and height in the article Fire extinguisher sign: regulations, size and mounting.

Wall sign, projecting sign or corner sign?

A wall sign is flat and can only be seen from the front. A projecting sign stands out from the wall and can be read from both sides. A corner sign protrudes into the room with its tip and can be seen from several directions. For long corridors, ASR A2.2 explicitly mentions projecting and corner signs. The difference is explained in the article Projecting sign and corner sign.

Why photoluminescent fire safety signs?

In a fire, the power often fails. At the same time, the room fills with smoke. Long-afterglow photoluminescent signs therefore store light and continue to glow in the dark. The standard for this is DIN 67510-1. For workplaces, at least class C is required.

What to look for when buying

• Signs according to EN ISO 7010, not according to the old German BGV A8
• Photoluminescent according to DIN 67510-1 class C
• Suitable size for the viewing distance
• Robust material that is easy to fix
• Uniform signs throughout the building – do not mix old and new

Fire safety signs from FireMat

With us you will find fire safety signs as wall signs as well as projecting and corner signs. The signs are made of PVC and available in 15 × 15 cm and 20 × 20 cm. That is why many companies, schools and public authorities order for the entire building at once.

You will find further marking among the emergency signs and prohibition signs. To go with them, there are smoke detectors. You can find all signs at a glance under Warning signs and safety signs.