ISO Signage Directive: Clear Pictograms for Universal Understanding

The British trade group Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL, www.icel.co.uk) has issued a Technical Statement that clarifies the recent change in Emergency Exit Signage in the UK.  It is excerpted here with additional commentary as it applies to US signage.  Note that the US is moving towards the ISO 'running man' standard for egress signage and the common red or green  EXIT  sign is gradually be replaced in US buildings.

It is not enough that a safety sign can be seen. It is essential that each sign is quickly understood and that an installation of signs quickly and clearly conveys their intention and continues to confirm the message.

Research has identified that the key requirements for an acceptable safety sign are:-

• Conspicuity:  The capacity of a sign to stand out or be distinguishable from its surroundings and thus be readily discovered by the eye.  It is the noticeable contrast between a sign and its background, attributed to an exogenous (unplanned) or andogenous (planned) mind-set, with the display having features that attract attention to the sign.  Conspicuity is considered a subjective outcome.
  
• Visibility:  The physical attributes of a sign and its contents that allow for detection at a given distance, although legibility may be uncertain.  Visibility is considered an objective stimulus.
  
• Legibility:  The physical attributes of a sign that allow for differentiation of its letters, words, numbers, or graphics and that directly relate to an observer’s visual acuity.  Legibility is considered an objective stimulus.
  
• Understandability:  That which enables the observer to correctly perceive the information content of letters, numbers or symbols grouped together, or other meaningful relationships on the sign.  Understandability is the character of a sign that leads to comprehension of its intended message, and depends on legibility and other considerations of contents and time restraints.  It is considered a subjective outcome.

When considering a design for an effective escape route it is important that the exit path and any potential obstacles are well illuminated (the centre line of any escape route should be lit to a minimum of 1 Lux [the US NFPA 101 Life Safey Code 7.8.1.3 uses a similar, but different standard]) and the route should be marked with well positioned signs that clearly indicate the direction towards a final exit and on to the “place of safety”.

The signs should be positioned so that each sign is always within a readable viewing distance and each sign shall be located so that it is visible to reconfirm the correct route at every intersection or change of direction so that evacuees can move along the escape route quickly and safely.  However, in some environments (public buildings, retail areas, etc.) there may be a great number of sign boards, building furniture and visual obstacles that could confuse evacuees in an emergency.  This is why safety signs must be easily seen and understood and, in today’s multinational society, it is essential that the meaning of signs does not rely on any specific language.

The Legal Situation

Standardization across Europe was one method of increasing a wider understanding of safety signs. Therefore, the European Community (EC) Safety Signs Directive (92/58/EEC) was published and adopted as ‘The Health and Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations’ in England during 1996. This piece of legislation set out simple ‘Pictogram’ sign formats to be used within the European Community.

The Regulations showed the intrinsic features required for emergency escape (egress) signs as being white on green, with pictorial symbols of a running man, a direction arrow and a door.  These intrinsic features avoided the use of words in any of the escape signs and set out escape route guidance by showing the running man with an arrow down for when the escape route went straight on, arrow right for right turns and arrow left for left turns.  The Regulations simplified the vast range of text signs that had previously been used.

The only problem with the EC Safety Signs Directive was that the pictograms supplied were of a different format to those shown in ISO documents and some National Standards such as BS 5499. Here are the three formats currently seen in use in the UK:

  

In 2011, it was decided by many of the National Standards bodies to consider adoption of a single pictogram format as shown in ISO16069.  The British Standards Institute (BSI) adopted this format in the latest edition of the BS5266:2011 standard, which is considered the ‘de-facto’ emergency lighting standard for the UK.

The members of the Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL) recognized that a further change in sign format could cause further confusion within the already confused market and therefore decided to introduce the ICEL Clear Sign Campaign.  It is a UK legal requirement for businesses to conduct risk assessments for fire safety and evacuation and it is of course vital that the emergency escape signs are of a legal format.  The current position includes the following key issues:

• Text only signs (like the common "EXIT" or "SORTE") are not legal and should have already been replaced.
  
• BS5499 Pictogram signs (with or without supplementary text) are legal but should only have been used when expanding an installation already incorporating similar signs.
  
• Pictogram only signs with the same format as shown in The Health and Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations / EC Safety Signs Directive (92/58/EEC) are legal but should not be mixed with other sign formats on any installation.
  
• From 2012 the new ISO16069 Pictogram signs will also be legal but again should not be mixed with other formats on an installation.
  
• The latest proposals do not only identify the ISO16069 sign format, there are also references to ISO 3864-1 and ISO 3864-4 to provide detailed information relating to the safety color and contrast color.

The images above show the different appearance of the ISO Pictogram symbols used in these EXIT signs but the key differences between the Health and Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations / EC Safety Signs Directive (92/58/EEC) pictograms and the ISO 16069 versions include:

• ‘Straight on’ is depicted by an arrow facing up in ISO 16069 (and in BS 5499) whereas the Safety Signs and Signals Regulations do not state which way the arrow should be used.
  
• ISO 16069 allows the use of supplementary information such as diagonal arrows (for stairs up or down) and in certain instances the use of text (e.g. to distinguish between a normal exit that may also be used for escape and an exit that is perhaps intended only for emergencies and may lead to an exit door that is fitted with a security alarm).

ICEL ADVICE:
 

Initially, the best advice is to use internally illuminated emergency sign luminaires with the minimum number of sign formats to avoid confusion.

Almost all escape route scenarios can be clearly indicated with the basic ISO 16069 pictogram signs conveying the messages ‘straight on’, ‘go left’, ‘go right’.

The technical features required for these signs are:

• The luminance of any area of safety color of the sign shall be at least 2 cd/m².
  
• Within either the contrast color white or the safety color, the minimum luminance divided by the maximum luminance shall be greater than 0.2.
  
• The ratio of the luminance Lcontrast to the luminance Lsafety color shall be not less than 5:1 and not greater than 15:1.
  
• Signs shall be illuminated to at least 50% of the required luminance within 5 seconds and full required luminance within 60 seconds (this is significantly different from the US standard where the signs must remain continuously illuminated).

Although these factors can appear to be complicated, the principles are well known by reputable emergency lighting specialists and should be assured by specifying products supplied by ICEL member companies.

However, Local Authorities and Fire Authorities can require new installations to be of either format – EC Safety Signs Directive or ISO 16069 until the situation is resolved by an amendment to the Directive – So check to be sure you are supplying the correct format for your facility.

Yeah, they have an app for that, too.

The iAuditor application for the iPad provides a convenient way to deploy checklists to all of your department heads and workers.  This customizable tool allows you to set-up check-lists, take photos, sign the document, and e-mail it so you have a clear record of inspections.

This app replaces paper-based reporting and allows the user to enhance reports with photographs showing compliance issues.  It also greatly reduces the likelihood of late submissions and falsified time-stamping.

With a smart interface to build forms, iAuditor allows for forms to be created on-the-fly from within the app, a form can be created and modified to suit departmental needs throughout the theatre plant.  By giving users the power to create their own audits, iAuditor can be applied to thousands of situations. This level of customization in auditing has never been seen before in the safety industry.


The iAuditor app has full GPS integration, too, so it can identify reports applicable to specific venues for large areas like theme parks, or be used on tour venue-to-venue.

An unlimited number of forms and checklists can be created using the form building screen, and templates can be shared between users. Ready-to-use audit forms are also available for free download from the SafetyCulture Secure Online Cloud.

Upon completion of an audit or checklist, the form can be quickly e-mailed as a PDF, which is compatible with almost any computer, smartphone, or tablet with a PDF reader application.

An audit checklist can be used by workers to ensure they are meeting their reporting and record-keeping requirements. Uses include:

• Life Safety Code Inspections
• Occupational Heath and Safety Codes
• Governmental Reporting Requirements
• Fire Prevention Checklists
• Building Safety Checklists
• Electrical Safety Checklists
• Ladder Safety Checklists
• Pre-Show, Intermission, and Post-Show Checklists for both FOH and Backstage
• Shop, Storage, and Loading Dock Safety Audits
• Vehicle Inspections
• Emergency Lighting & Exit Sign Inspections
• Fire Extinguisher Inspections
• Fire Door Inspections

“Businesses all over the world are using technology to work smarter, not harder. We’ve listened to the people who are out in the field every day, and we’re committed to helping them work safer by using technology. With iAuditor, we’ve shown another example of this commitment; an incredibly versatile auditing and checklist app that is free to use and free to download.” Said Luke Anear, Managing Director of SafetyCulture Australia (www.safetyculture.com.au).

More information about the iAuditor app can be found at: www.safetyculture.com.au/iauditor/

Brady Label Company Offers Free Handbook on Photoluminescent Marking

Free.  That's always helpful.  Even more helpful is the handy handbook that Brady has published that discusses the International Building Code (IBC), NFPA Life Safety Code, and LEED requirements for Emergency Egress signage and markings.

This objective guide outlines the various code sections, provides some graphics showing placement examples for photoluminescent items, and is very light on advertising hype.  Wow.  Real info not obscured by marketing schmooze.  That's refreshing.

Get yours at:  www.bradyid.com/bradyglo

'Paint it black' isn't just a song by the Rolling Stones

Dontcha just hate those glaring  EXIT  signs?  Some director's sure do.  They'll go so far as having the stage crew cover them up, or better yet:  Paint over them!

This is a great way to get a big fat fine from your Fire Marshal or the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction), as it is an obvious deliberate act.

While we're on the subject of  EXIT  signs, it is important that you file a written request for repairs whenever you find them damaged or otherwise disfunctional.  Common problems with  EXIT  signs are:

• Lamps burned-out (LED replacement lamps are very cost-effective).
• Glass / Acrylic letters broken or missing (leaving exposed bulb).
• Failed Battery Back-up (you have to test these at prescribed intervals per the NFPA).
• Broken or Missing Covers.
• Sign units torn from the wall and hanging by wires.
• Sign units missing (I see these in brand new buildings!)
• Sign units over doors that are not really Fire Exits (I see these in brand new buildings!).
• Sign units above / adjacent to overhead rolling doors.
• Sign units in  Black Box  theatres covered by perimeter drapery tracks so that audience can't see them.
• 'Light-pipe' designs that don't effectively pipe the light to the sign (internal obstruction or bad product design?).
• Sign units that are obscured by pipes, ducts, tracks, junk, stuff, scenery, greenery, or other crud.

Just how do you get out of here?

OSHA has some handy items on their web site, and one of them is the eTools.  This page discusses Evacuation Plans and Procedures:  www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/evacuation/index.html.  Within it you will find a section about Exit Routes:  www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/evacuation/egress_construction.html.

The Big Red Word vs. the Little Green Man

SLATE author Julia Turner has a great article about the ongoing controversy between the common US  EXIT  sign and the internationally recognized ISO standard 'running man' sign.

You can read it here:  http://www.slate.com/id/2246107/

Doors - Not just for Jim Morrison

Did you know that Fire Doors must be inspected annually? Yup, just like a Fire Curtain. Ref: 2010 NFPA 80, chapter 5.2.1. Most doors in an institutional building are Fire Doors, and an easy way to verify if a door is a Fire Door it is to look at the edge of the door leaf that is attached to the hinges.

If it is a Fire Door then you will see a small metal placard that says: FIRE DOOR and a bunch of other information about the door.  Look closely if you don't see it at first -- it may have been painted-over -- which is also a fire code violation. Ref: 2010 NFPA 80, chapter 4.2.2.

Inspections of Fire Doors are to check that the door is:

• There (yes, I find them missing sometimes).
• In proper operating condition (windows not broken, operating hardware all functioning).
• The latches work (and aren't covered with gaffer's tape) - this is so the door can stay closed against the atmospheric forces of a fire.
• The crash-bar (panic hardware) works and allows the door to open (no extra dead-bolts, pad-locks, or chains).
• To make sure the door is not blocked on either side in a manner that would prevent it from being opened (things like pianos, stacks of chairs or desks, book cases, filing cabinets, cars, trucks, orchestra shells, etc.).
• To make sure that the door is not propped open in a manner that would prevent it from being closed automatically (this means NO stage weights, NO chairs, NO desks, NO microphone stands, NO speakers, NO road cases, NO scenery, NO flag pole bases, NO . . . well, you should get the point).
• To see if the automatic door closer hardware actually automatically closes the door (this is how you keep the smoke-in, air out, and keep the fire from spreading).  Disconnected, clamped, maladjusted, or broken closers must be repaired or replaced.
• To  make sure that 'extra things' haven't been added to the door like kick-down door props (no, you cannot add these to Fire Doors!) or bailing wire to tie the door open.
• And to check that the magnetic door release latch, if any, is properly working in conjunction with the Fire Alarm System (yes, this is the only legal way to prop a door open).

Alright, Bugsy - It's curtains for you!

Didja ever notice how Directors hate it when the theatre is suddenly flooded by light when a door is opened?  Yeah, it happens all the time.  It's really not their fault, it was the person designing the building that failed to recognize how disruptive this can be.

Denial is not just a river in Egypt.  It sometimes stems from a complete lack of admission that anyone would enter or leave a performance at anytime other than the designated time (yeah, like that's gonna happen!).

So what we get instead is folks trying to make-do.  They string-up curtain rods and cover the Exits to block the stray light.  Sometimes they cover the  EXIT  signs, too.  News Flash:  You cannot block or obscure a Fire Exit Door or Fire Exit Route.  Ref: 2010 NFPA 80, chapter 5.2.13.

No, I said 'Glowable' Tape, Not 'Global' Tape

So, just where do you get this Strontium Aluminate based Glow-In-The-Dark stuff?  Point your search engine toward "Photoluminescent" and about a bazillion possibilities come-up.  You are going to be looking for items that meet the codes and standards mentioned on the PSA and PSPA web sites (see previous post).  If the products don't meet or exceed these standards, then you may be looking at inferior products.

A few of my favorite suppliers are:
American Permalight (http://www.americanpermalight.com/) (Check-out the 81-2700 series glow tape - great for theatre !)
Balco (http://www.balcousa.com/)
EcoGlo (http://www.ecoglo.us/)
EvacMap (http://www.evacmap.com/)
EverGlow (http://www.everglow.us/)
GloBright (http://www.globritesystem.com/)
GloNation (http://www.glonation.com/)
Johnsonite Safe-T-First (http://www.safe-t-first.com/)
KanKote GlowGrip Paint (http://www.kankote.com/)
KemCo Technology (http://www.photoluminescent.co.uk/)
NightBright (http://www.nb-usa.net/)
Safe Passage (http://www.safepassageinc.com/)
Suma Industries (http://www.sumaindustries.com/)
Zero International (http://www.zerointernational.com/pdf/PhotoluminescentBrochure.pdf)

Things that Glow-In-The-Dark

"Glow-Tape" is a staple of any theatre operation.  Its great for making all those things that are shin-busters, head-bangers, and fall-hazards.  How many times have you run-around five minutes before a show with a flash-light 'charging-up' the glow-tape?  Crazy, isn't it?  Especially if you have to do it again between each act.  And after awhile, it just won't 'take a charge' and you have to repace it.  What a pain.

Technology marches forward, and we in the theatre industry benefit from it.  Cool.  The problem is, what if no-one told you there was a better way?  Introducing high-tech glow tape that really does the job.  Strontium-Aluminate (SrAl) is a chemical compound that is non-toxic, non-radioactive, and generally safe to work with.  It has the ability to be 'charged-up' (activated with UV light) and maintain it's glow for 8, 12, 24, even 48 hours (depending upon the exact formulation) after it is activated.  Some products will glow for up to 45 days.  Wow.  Good Stuff.  Very Good Stuff.  This ain't your father's glow tape.  Uh-uh.  And get this: A quality Strontium-Aluminate based product will typically last 20-30 years.  Oooh.  Ahh.  (And the crowd cheers.)

Over the next few posts I'm going to provide information about some of the great benefits and products that are out there that are extremely applicable to the performing arts environment.  Glowing stuff is not just for backstage, it's for many locations around your facility.

For starters, lets look at the great literature that is available.  Check out these web sites for some very good reading material:

PSA (Photoluminescent Safety Association): http://www.plsafety.org/
Check-out their various tabs, particularly the 'Codes' section.

PSPA (Photoluminescent Safety Products Association) http://www.pspa.org.uk/
Download their "PSPA Guide to the Use of Photoluminescent Safety Markings Part 1 Egress Markings in Stairwells" document on the Technical | Standards tab - it's a treasure trove of recommendations.

And for a commonly used reference in the US, visit the New York City Department of Buildings web site to get "Reference Standard 6-1 - Photoluminescent exit path markings"
www.nyc.gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/rs_6-1.pdf

I've gotta get out of here!

I frequently find tables in the aisles in theatres, and occasionally in exit vestibules, which are both clear violations of fire codes, but this one was particularly troublesome: This was a laboratory table with a heavy top like a pool table, so it was not easy to move or toss aside. Even if you did move it, where would you put it that wasn't still blocking an exit aisle? Especially if there were people crowding toward the exit. On the other side of the door was the real surprise: They had an upright piano cross-wise of the doors (and a trash can, too!). You would have to pull the piano away from the door, open the door, turn the piano and shove it out the door (assuming there was a crush of people behind you also wanting to get out.)

The amazing part of this is that I have found three pianos blocking fire exits in less than two months - and one of them was a grand piano! Billy Joel would not be happy! Not to mention the Fire Marshal!

Oh yeah, did you notice that the EXIT signs did not have functioning lamps?