Applying Fire Safety Signs

The International Code Council (ICC) specifies certain types of fire safety signs that should be placed in buildings of all sizes. Like emergency exit symbols and floor identification signs, fire safety signs can provide building occupants with critical information that directs them toward safety. But they can also provide building occupants with information that allows them to access fire fighting equipment and potentially extinguish a fire before it claims a building. Some commonly implemented ICC approved fire safety signs are:

• Fire hose and standpipe unit signs
• Fire extinguisher signs
• Fire hose signs
• Exterior area for assisted rescue signs
• Area of refuge signs
• Push to exit signs
• Push until alarm sounds signs

Although some building owners apply non-luminous fire safety signs, applying luminous fire safety signs anticipates the possibility of thick smoke that could render non-luminous fire safety signs ineffective. Although fire safety signs are sometimes viewed as an ancillary measure in fire safety, they can actually save people’s lives. Regardless of whether your building falls under IBC and IFC egress safety regulations, implementing fire safety signs in your building is an indispensable fire safety measure.