Signs of fire hazard: requirements and standards

Providing fire safety in organizations,offices and institutions obliges persons responsible for it to establish generally accepted fire safety signs in places prescribed by the rules and regulations of the law. They regulate the need to arrange these signs, and also focus on understanding mandatory requirements that relate to the safety of life, health preservation, reduction of material damage with a minimum number of words or even without them.

In this case, the presence of fire signs does not remove from the heads of organizations(institutions, firms) of responsibility for conducting initial briefings and other activities related to the training of the collective fire safety measures, the use of personal and general protection equipment, as well as additional briefings.

Color difference

Most of the signs have an alarm color. It is used when necessary:

• Mark the surface, the structural element (or the whole structure), the fixtures.
• Indicate the location of fire equipment, as well as elements, parts and means of fire protection or their elements.
• Select nodes and / or elements of machines, equipment,mechanisms, etc., which can be a source of increased danger to people, as well as the surface of possible fences and other protective devices, blocking facilities, etc.
• Place light panels, lamps and other permissible safety lights.
• Emphasize security signs, evacuation plans, signaling markers and other security features related to visual.
• Mark the path (s) for evacuation.

They are used for fire color signs: red, yellow, blue and green. As a contrast for red signs is taken white, for yellow - black.

Red shade warns of immediate danger or emergency. And also it can indicate the placement of fire protection (or parts thereof) and fire fighting equipment.

Yellow indicates a possible danger. The blue prescribes or indicates, and the green informs about safe conditions or indicates the evacuation routes, the places where first aid is provided, and so on.

Standards

Regulates fire signs GOST R 12.4.026-2001. He prescribes the rules of application, fabrication, and also equipment of their premises. There are other rules and regulations: ISO 3461.88, ISO 4196-99, DIN 67510-96, and so on.

Double meaning

In the narrow sense, a fire sign is used fordesignations of technical means for fire protection (TSPPZ), fire extinguishing means for primary use of open fire, fire equipment, and water sources. Colors are signs of a square of red color with an image on it.

STB 1392-2003 explains the wider meaning of fire signs, that is, they are intended for:

• Notation of TSPPZ.
• Places where it is forbidden to extinguish the fire with water, clutter passages, smoke, use an open flame, etc.
• Instructions for evacuation.
• Designation of places of smoking or placing of fire dangerous and explosive objects.

Categories

According to GOST, fire safety signs are divided into several categories.

1. Common signs. They are square and only red. Most often these are arrows indicating directions, the designation of places of fire stairs, fire extinguishers, hydrants, risers, annunciators, etc.
2. Prohibiting signs. Round, with a red stroke. The meaning is clear from the title. They prohibit smoking, use open fire, extinguish an open flame, block out fire exits, etc.
3. Warning fire signs - yellow triangles with a designation, marked in black. They indicate explosive, or flammable, or fire hazardous substances.