In an emergency, say a fire, would you immediately know what to do? Fire safety rules are posted in buildings to educate you on this matter. Speaking of which, without looking, what colors are used on exit signs? What about the notices next to the firefighting equipment? The purpose of a fire exit or fire escape is to assist you in the time of such an emergency so that you can safely evacuate a building in time and possibly save your life.
In the UK, standard fire exit signs are green. In the US they would sometimes be red, but this also depends on a number of things. The first thing to be aware of is the building code which only allows green signs to be posted.
The reasons for this are varied. Some people may not be able to clearly distinguish that a red exit sign is pointing towards an exit in a flame due to the color. One theory is that the red color cannot be easily distinguished from flames at a distance that would cause a trapped victim to completely miss the exit.
Also, if someone can’t read English and comes across the red lettered sign that is normally a “no entry” or “danger” sign, they probably won’t go through it. Green has been shown to have a positive effect on the human psyche and is therefore used in many of the signs we have today. Here are some of the theories behind it. Of course, other things come into play when choosing what colors to use on exit signs, such as the color of the rooms and the height of the signs, but green is the all-round acceptable color.
White is commonly used with green on exit signs and the sign itself must be illuminated to be legible. It must be visible in the dark. The word “exit” has been used on signs in the past as a stand-alone on exit signs, but this posed a problem. Some people couldn’t read the language at all or had no idea what the green sign meant. For this reason, a single arrow or a single word or just an arrow and the word “exit” are no longer enough.
The man running through a door is currently the universally accepted sign of an exit, whether the sign is green or red. This illustration can come with arrows or stair illustrations. The word “exit” may be printed in more than one language next to it, or it may be omitted entirely. Either way, people understand what the running man means: You can get out this way. In some cases, he is in a wheelchair, which means that particular exit is wheelchair friendly.
If the sign gives you fire safety information, it’s probably the standard colors of blue (background) and white (writing). They are usually printed and posted next to fire safety devices, such as the fire alarm, fire extinguisher, or hose.
Fire exit signs are there for your safety. You should always follow instructions and rules, especially in an emergency. Make sure fire exit signs meet the standards for your building; an exit sign retailer can help you with this. The next time you’re asked what colors are used on exit signs, you’ll be able to answer with a vengeance.
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