Do Fire Exit Signs Need to Be Illuminated?

Published: 2024-01-17

Trying to escape a fire is a deeply harrowing and sensitive situation to find yourself in. Every single second counts. Whether you are at a new job, or any public building, you will find fire safety equipment, and fire exits.

In this blog, we will answer the question ‘Do fire exit signs need to be illuminated?’

By law, fire safety, amongst other safety requirements, must be practised. Understandably, whether you are assessing the fire safety precautions of a business, or looking to understand how it should be applied to your own, it is critical information to know.

The team here at Lasting Impressions are here to provide you with the safety signs you need. Whether it is fire safety, construction site signs, workplace, safety signs, general safety signs, information or first-aid/medical signs, we have it all.

If you require a custom design, or safety signs that are legally required, we have it. Our competitive pricing shows that we put safety first. With deals on offer, see how we can help you today.

Are Fire Exits Legally Required?

Yes. Fire exits are part of fire safety regulations, if you are found not to be following one or more of the fire safety regulations, you could be fined or made to serve prison time. This may seem like a harsh penalty, but the safety of lives is paramount.

Any attempt to cut corners, or not follow fire safety regulations for whatever reason, displays a lack of care for others. Any person with this kind of mentality who has to deal with the safety of people should not be in such a post.

Fire and smoke has the potential to kill somebody in mere moments, so having as many fire safety protocols could be the difference in a large loss of life, and someone escaping with minor injuries.

Who Is Responsible For Fire Safety?

When it comes to business or non-domestic premises, there has to be what is known as a 'responsible person' who oversees fire safety,

For clarity, a non-domestic premises includes all workplaces and commercial premises, in addition to any premises that the public can access, and common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings. This includes guest houses, bed and breakfasts, and self-catering properties up for let.

You can have more than one responsible person for fire safety, if this is the case you must work in conjunction to meet your responsibilities. This is likely the case in shared premises in which more than one business operates.

In non-domestic premises, or businesses, the responsible person for fire safety can be:

An employer
The owner
The occupier
A landlord
Any person with control of the premises, which can include a building manager, risk assessor, and more.

Responsible Person For Fire Safety — What Are The Duties?

As the responsible for fire safety you must:

carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly
tell staff or their representatives about the risks you’ve identified
put in place, and maintain, appropriate fire safety measures
plan for an emergency
provide staff information, fire safety instruction and training
You can read about your legal duties as the person responsible for fire safety.

Do Fire Exit Signs Need To Be Illuminated?

Yes. Though, this is dependent on whether your premises requires emergency lighting or not. If your premises requires emergency lighting, then your fire exit sign should also be illuminated. Ideally, it should be using the emergency lighting, in case the regular electrical system fails.

Your fire exit sign can be illuminated via the through internal or external lamps, though there are also self-luminating options available which require no external power source to operate.

As we established earlier, fire exit signs are a requirement for every building except from your personal home, although this does not apply for apartments. This is because your home, generally has two to three clear exits, the front door, back door, or patio door. Additionally, your home has occupants who know where these exits are without having to be directed.

An apartment complex will likely have multiple exits compared to a house, and some of these exits may lead to other areas, such as a maintenance room or common room. To avoid confusion whilst informing the likely hundreds of occupants, fire exit signs are clearly placed to avoid any further issues in case of a fire.

The purpose of an illuminated fire sign can literally be the difference between life and death. This is because the smoke produced by a fire is extremely thick, to a degree where you will struggle to see anything that isn’t emitting some sort of light.

If your fire exit sign is not illuminated, it greatly reduces the chances of anyone trying to escape, simply because they have no indication as to where they are going.

How Can I Get A Fire Exit Sign?

Lasting Impressions is the one-stop shop for any fire exit sign you require. Our large range of options is bound to suit every need possible, and if that isn’t enough, there is also an option to have a custom designed sign.

The signs that we offer are photoluminescent, meaning they emit their own light, which enables them to glow in the dark. These particular signs have a special coating applied to them which allows them to absorb daylight from natural and artificial sources. This feature is absolutely vital in an instance of low visibility that happens as a result of a fire.

Our signs are available in various sizes, at prices beginning from just over £1. We make sure our signs are simple, having a complicated design can waste valuable moments someone would rather use to escape. Our available designs are to the point, and don’t require time to understand them.

Whether the sign is to direct you to a fire exit, to display a fire exit, or to use as a warning to keep the space clear, and much more, we have the options you need. Our high-quality, low-cost signage is available for free delivery for orders over £25.

We encourage you to have a look at the options we supply, alternatively, you can contact us directly if you wish to enquire about a custom design, or have any questions about legally required signage we supply.

When should fire safety signs be implemented?

Fire safety signs must be implemented during and after construction. There should be no member of the public in the building, even if it completed, if there are no fire safety signs placed.

Even during construction/refurbishments, there must be fire safety signs, even if they are a temporary version to be replaced at a later time. There should be no excuse as to why premises has no fire safety signs or fire safety precautions at any time