On Wednesday 26th September, a team from Redhill-based signage company Stocksigns joined forces with staff and partners at Gatwick Airport, to take part in a sponsored walk showcasing the pedestrian routes that surround the airport.

Over 40 people donned their trainers and set off to discover lakes, walking trails, tunnels and underpasses all whilst helping raise valuable funds for the Gatwick TravelCare charity. The charity assists over 2,000 passengers with travel-related problems each year. With a knowledgeable team, many of whom are volunteers, TravelCare are on hand to ensure that passenger journeys through the airport are smooth, enjoyable and any problems are resolved as quickly as possible.

David Harbison, Stocksigns Senior Project Development Manager worked with Sara Marchant, Accessibility Manager at Gatwick Airport  to arrange the event.
“Having worked closely with Gatwick over the past 6 years, Stocksigns were delighted to be able to support Sara raise the profile of the many walking trails that surround the airport. I am sure many of the staff and passengers may be surprised to know that they could access such beautiful green space within a 5 minute walk of the terminal buildings” said David.

“Although the route may be a hidden gem for some, many are already in the ‘know’ as our team discovered when they met cyclists, runners and picnickers while completing the walk. One innovative taxi driver was waiting for his passenger to arrive while enjoying a spot of fishing by the lake – which we all agreed was a fantastic way to pass the time!”

Stocksigns Managing Director, Danny Adamson added “As a company we appreciate that regular walking can help both mental and physical health, and as such we introduced the Friday walking club.  So when the opportunity came to work on this joint initiative with one of our key customers it was the perfect fit for us.”

“The walk raised over £250 and we would like to thank everyone that took part on the day”.

In a world governed by Health & Safety regulations it has never been so important to ensure you have the correct signage. Signage is the main way of communicating Health & Safety information to make sure that people understand the risks around them.

Health and safety signs

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that between 1st April 2015 – 31st March 2016 144 workers in the UK  were killed while in the workplace.   This shocking statistic highlights how having the correct signage is crucial in advising people of risks that cannot be controlled or avoided to help prevent accidents.

In November last  year the HSE released their annual report about work related injuries and illness, they found the following statistics:

  • 3 million people suffer from a work related illness
  • Over 621,000 work related injuries
  • 2,515 people died

Despite these alarming figures there has been a downward trend of fatal work related injuries. This is partly due to the safety signs directive being adopted by all European Union member states in 1992. The Health and Safety  (Safety Signs and Signals Regulations) act then adopted these changes in 1996 which required employers to display safety signs to highlight risks that cannot be controlled or avoided.

The Safety Signs and Signals Regulations has had a huge impact in keeping workers and members of the public safe.  Since its introduction there has been a 50% reduction in the number of fatal injuries.

Health & safety signs

As well as this impact on fatalities there is also a link between the introduction of safety signage and a decrease in the number of reported accidents. Keeping people safe begins with alerting them to hazards and dangers around them with easy to understand signage.

We offer a huge range of signs suitable for all situations and environments. Our experienced sales team are on hand to offer expert advice to ensure your signage is fully compliant with current ISO 7010 legislation. Call us now on 01737 774077 or send an email with your enquiry.

It is crucial for employers to display up to date compliant signage. Consequences for the use of non compliant signage range from hefty fines up to prison sentences. More importantly however is injury or loss of life that could occur as a result of incorrect or missing signage.

We have recently celebrated 8 years of working in partnership with RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) as their recommended signage supplier. We are proud to work alongside them and promote their vital work in keeping people safe through accident prevention.  Find out more information about this here.

Shop our extensive signage range now

Choosing your fire signage can be a daunting task. What exactly do you need? Where do you have to install them? Will you be compliant with BS EN ISO 7010? What happens if you get it wrong?

In the UK between 2010 and 2014, there were 97,500 fires in commercial premises, with 1,881 fatalities over the same period. It is essential to have clearly marked routes to exits and fire fighting equipment as this will help to limit the risk of loss of life.

Shop our Fire Signage Range now

Where do you place fire exit signs on the escape route?

The first step to determining your escape route is to find your primary escape route. This should be the shortest and quickest route out of the building from any given location. It is also essential to plan a secondary escape route, in the event of a fire makes the primary route impassable.

Determining the signage for your fire escape route is confusing, however, it can be simplified with a few simple guidelines;

  • Within your building, an escape sign should always be visible
  • Once past the first fire escape sign, the next escape sign along the route must be clearly seen
  • Further signage is required at every change of direction along the escape route
  • A fire exit sign must be above all final fire exit doors
  • Ensure there are no conflicting signs along the route e.g. 2 arrow up signs back to back.

Fire Exit signs and where to use them?

Fire exit signs with left and right arrows:

Fire exit signs with left and right arrows are self-explanatory. If you see an arrow pointing to the left, what that is essentially saying is that you should “Progress to the left”. If you see an arrow pointing to the right, it is telling you that you should “Progress to the right”.

Where some of the confusion starts to come in around fire safety signs, is with the up and the down arrow.

Fire exit signs with up arrows:

Fire exit sign with arrow up

Fire Exit Arrow Up is to be used when you have to continue along your route, towards another fire exit sign. It can also be used for final exits. The only exception to this is if there is a step-down or ramp immediately outside.

Fire exist signs with down arrows:

Fire exit sign with arrow down

Fire Exit Arrow Down signs are to be used when you have to continue along your route, towards another fire exit sign. If after an exit sign there is a staircase leading down immediately after your sign, then a down arrow is required.

Are fire exit signs displayed on each fire exit door?

According to the UK Building Regulation requirements, an exit sign should be placed on every doorway, escape window or other routes which provides an exit to a fire.

What size fire exit sign do I need?

One of the most important things to consider when ordering a fire exit sign is the size. The size that you need is based on the maximum distance that the size needs to be viewed from.

Below is a guide to the sizes that you will need based on the distance in meters.

  • Viewing distances for fire exit signs
  • 300mm x 100mm KD – Viewing distance up to 10 meters
  • 450mm x 150mm NF – Viewing distance up to 15 meters
  • 600mm x 200mm RG – Viewing distance up to 20 meters
  • 1200mm x 400mm – Viewing distance up to 40 meters
  • For illuminated signs the viewing distance doubles

When does photoluminescent help with fire signage?

Photoluminescent signs provide additional reliability. In the event of a power failure, they offer a constant source of illumination and invaluable guidance.

Fire safety sign regulations in the UK

All business premises need to have a minimum 2-3 fire safety signs. Training or having common sense is not acceptable for fire safety if an emergency were to occur. For example, if your premises frequently has visitors arrive, then it’s unlikely they’ll be sufficiently prepared if a fire breaks out, which is why visible signage is important for guiding people to safety.

If you’re responsible for commercial premises, you might already know that you need fire safety signs. But it can be tricky to work out which ones you need and where to put them.

There are two main pieces of fire safety legislation for fire safety signs:

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

and

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996

The HSR describes the correct types, applications and maintenance of fire signage, and the RRFSO provides assessment guidance and precautions to deal with any risk.

The HSR states that the number of signs required and their positioning depends on the types of hazards or dangers on the premises.

The RRFSO instructs all businesses with premises to appoint a responsible person who can remain accountable for fire safety. One of the main duties is to undergo regular assessments to examine the business’s fire safety risks and hazards. Once these have been identified, the assessor must take action to ensure that risks are minimised, such as installing fire safety equipment, adding or replacing signage and even making changes to the layout of the premises to ensure it meets safety standards.

So what do you need? There are 4 main applications of fire safety signs in the UK:

    1. A ‘fire Action Notice’ explaining what to do in case of fire
    2. Safety signs marketing fire exit routes, doors, and assembly points
    3. Safety signs showing where fire-fighting equipment is located
    4. Warning and Prohibition signs such as ‘Danger’ or ‘No Smoking

What are the different types of fire safety procedure signs?

Type of sign

Meaning/Purpose

Requirements

Example

Fire Action Sign

A list of instructions to guide anyone inside a building if they discover a fire or need to evacuate the building.

All commercial premises must display a Fire Action Note. It’s recommended that you display this sign next to every fire alarm call point and at every final exit door.

fire-action

Fire Equipment Signs

Information with an extinguisher ID to show people what the fire extinguisher is suitable for. These include: Class A fires: carbonaceous materials, Class B fires: flammable liquids, Class C fires: burning metals, electrical fires, Class F fires: cooking oils and fats.

Premises that keep fire fighting equipment must have adequate fire equipment signs in place near the equipment. There should be a fire extinguisher ID to show people what the fire extinguisher is suitable for.

Fire Exit and Door Signs

These signs guide people on evacuating a building safely and show which safety measures to take.

Non-domestic properties and multi-occupancy residential buildings are required to have fire exit and door signs.

fire-exit

Warning and Prohibition Signs

Warning signs let people know there is a fire risk nearby, prohibition signs display preventative actions to maximise fire safety.

You need a fire warning sign when flammable substances are on the premises, such as gas or oil. Prohibition signs are required when actions could a fire, such as smoking.

Flammable Gas Hazard Sign

Making sure that you have these clearly marked out is key to making sure that your building is as safe as possible for everyone inside.

If you have a large complex project and require any additional information, our expert site survey team are happy to visit your premises to help.

Our sales team can be contacted on 01737 774072 for free advice, or alternatively, you can email.

Whether you manage a pay & display car park, a customer, employee or visitor car park there are a number of areas you have to consider. Using our experience of working with customers we’ve pulled together some handy tips so you get it right first timeOffer_Teaser_Car_Park

1) Directions
You need to consider wayfinding in your car park under all elements including rain and darkness. Often directions on the ground can easily be missed under these circumstances as drivers have so much to concentrate on. Therefore it is important to include directional and informative signage at the height for drivers to easily see where they need to be going.

2) Disabled / parent and child bays
It is likely that you will have disabled parking and potentially parent and child parking, it is important to ensure these are clearly marked. It will help to reduce the number of drivers utilising these spaces.

3) Speed Limits

Car parks are dangerous places with pedestrians and drivers all in the same place, meaning they need to be managed appropriately. It is important to encourage drivers to drive at a safe speed, our speed limit signs are a cheaper alternative to road signs, as your car park signage doesn’t need to comply with highway specifications.

4) Advertising
Signs do not have to be just about information and penalties, they are also a great opportunity to advertise your brand. Simply including your logo on wayfinding signage is essentially free advertising. Stocksigns can adapt any of our standard signs to suit your requirements.

5) Security
In 2014 over 69,000 cars were stolen in the UK, and is a constant concern for many drivers. Even if you are not liable for the loss or damage of vehicles in your car park, you want users of your car park to feel that their vehicle is secure. Whether you have CCTV or not, CCTV and security signage can go a long way to put car park users at ease and deter criminals.

6) Car Park Information
It is a legal requirement to display your opening times and charges, our team of experts can advise on these bespoke signs.While not legally required it’s important to ensure that your car park’s entrance is easily identifiable so you don’t miss out on revenue.

Hopefully our 6 points will help you to audit or plan your car park, if you do have any questions about your signage requirements call our team of
experts on 01737 774 072.

To help you keep your car park safe we’re offering 20% off the list price of all standard traffic signs until 22nd July 2016. to take advantage of this special offer quote BLOG625

Lauren Sutton,
Sales Assistant Manager

Terms & conditions: Use code BLOG625 at the online checkout or over the phone. Discounts only available on list price standard items within out traffic and car parks range until 22nd July 2016. not valid in conjunction with any other offer and only valid once.