Electrical Contracting News (ECN) August 2016 | Page 29

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

Do signs need to
be upgraded?
Currently, you are under no legal obligation
to change your signs and it is highly
unlikely that any such requirement will ever
be introduced. For the time being, you
can keep your old signs according to the
previous BS5499. However, considering
the functionality and practicability of the
new signs, you may want to consider
upgrading your signs to the new
regulations immediately.
When looking to purchase new signs, it
is advisable to ensure they meet the new
BS EN ISO7010. It will be hard not to,
anyway, as most of the sign manufacturers
no longer produce the non-compliant
BS5499 versions.

Are mixed symbols allowed?
It is highly recommended by Health and
Safety Guidance that the two different
types of signs, BS5499 and BS EN
ISO7010, should not be mixed in the
workplace. The guidance recommends
consistency in style and design
throughout a building. However, this is
only a recommendation, so it isn’t actually
illegal to mix sign types. Nevertheless,
consistency will be much more important
in public buildings. On that basis, if you
are adding a few signs to a building that
consistently follows EC Directive 92/58/
EEC, it is worth seeking out matching
signs, at least for the time being, even

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though they’re not designed to the
latest standard. If you are starting from
scratch with a new building, go with a
new standard. And if your situation is
somewhere between those two, do what
seems most logical.
If you wish to use signs in accordance
with best practice, it is best not to mix
symbols from old and new standards.
Particularly in critical situations, signs
marking fire escape routes, for example,
can save lives. In this scenario, ambiguous
signs can lead to confusion and cost lives.

Where some confusion lies
Before 2013, the traditional emergency
sign used above doorways to identify the
escape route pictured a DOWN arrow.
Under the standard of BS EN ISO7010
the DOWN arrow should only be used to
identify a change of level going down (for
example at the top of a staircase).
Following the introduction of BS EN
ISO7010 the directional arrow above a
corridor doorway should be the UP arrow.

“

When looking to purchase new signs, it is advisable to ensure they meet the new BS EN ISO7010.

IT IS BEST NOT TO MIX SYMBOLS,
PARTICULARLY IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS.
AMBIGUOUS SIGNS CAN LEAD TO
CONFUSION AND COST LIVES.

This is to inform the occupants that they
need to carry straight on.
We know that there is an issue, as
here at ESP we still sell three times as
many DOWN arrow products as UP
ones. The proportion should be the other
way around. Make sure you are not
caught out.

7/15/16 3:47 PM

19/07/2016 09:41