How well do you know your fire safety signs?

Eye-catching, often illuminated, yet surprisingly easy to ignore.

Most of us encounter fire safety signs multiple times every day, existing in the background of our busy lives, but when did you last stop to consider them in detail? Could you identify their meaning at a glance?

At TransPro Systems we take your safety personally, which is why we have written this guide to fire safety signs.

Types of Safety Signs

Ensuring that you can recognise and understand fire safety signs could keep you and others around you from harm if a fire emergency occurs. Even though they are varied, fire safety signs do follow specific guidelines for use of colour and placement making them easy to learn. This consistency is vital for communicating messages quickly and unequivocally to people of varying language, literacy or age.

The fire safety signs used in the UAE are divided into five main categories: Fire Equipment Signs, Mandatory Action Signs, Prohibited Action Signs, Warning Signs.

Fire Equipment Signs

These red signs with white detail show the location of firefighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers and manual alarms. (To find out more about fire extinguishers, see our previous post here .)

Mandatory Action Signs

These signs show blue circles on a white background with white detail. They offer instructions on how to take preventative action in order to avoid to accidents. An example of a common Mandatory Action Sign is the ‘Fire door keep shut’ sign.

Prohibition Signs

The internationally-recognised prohibited action sign displays a red circle with a red backslash. The black icon within the sign shows the behaviour or item which is prohibited. The most common prohibition or ‘No’ sign is the No Smoking sign.

Warning Signs

Warning signs do exactly that – warn the viewer of potential danger. Slip hazards, high voltage electrical equipment, fire risk – these are all Warning signs you are likely to encounter. Warning signs are bright yellow with the dangerous element illustrated within a black triangle and often with text in a box below.

Safe Condition Signs

Green Safe Condition signs display the safe action to be taken, the emergency escape routes, the location of safety equipment, or designated safe areas. These signs are often combined with independently-powered emergency lighting systems to ensure that anyone evacuating a building can do so as quickly and safely as possible, even in a power failure.

TransPro Systems can help with Fire Safety Signs

We offer comprehensive solutions for your organisation which meet all the necessary legal fire safety requirements. Not sure what is needed for your building? Contact our team of experts, for some advice.