Requirements for the installation of fire safety signs

Refer to the \"Guidelines for the Use of Safety Signs\" GB16179—1996, and the \"Requirements for the Installation of Fire Safety Signs\" GB15630-1995

Requirements for the Installation of Fire Safety Signs GB 15630-1995 Date of issuance: February 1, 1996 1 Subject matter and scope of application 1.1 This standard specifies the locations, principles, requirements, and methods for installing fire safety signs. 1.2 This standard applies to places that use fire safety signs to convey fire safety information. 2 Referenced standards: GB13495 – Fire safety signs; GBJ16 – Code for fire protection design of buildings; GBJ45 – Code for fire protection design of high-rise civil buildings. 3 Terms: 3.1 Viewing distance – The distance from the observer’s eyes to the center point of the sign. In this standard, the observation distance is denoted by the letter D, as shown in Figure 1. 3.2 Viewing angle: The angle between the line connecting the observer’s eye and the center point of the marker, and the plane in which the marker is located. In this standard, the viewing angle is denoted by a letter. It is shown as in Figure 1. 3.3 Displacement: The distance from the center point of the marker to the visual axis at the plane where the eye’s straight-ahead marker is located. In this standard, the offset distance is denoted by the letter X, as shown in Figure 1. 3.4 Angle of displacement: The angle between the line connecting the center of the marker and the eye, and the visual axis when the eye is looking in the direction indicated by the marker. In this standard, the offset angle is denoted by the letter θ, as shown in Figure 1. 4 Locations 4.1 Tourist attractions, outdoor entertainment venues, urban streets, squares, parking lots, and marketplaces, etc. 4. Buildings specified in GBJ16 and GBJ45. 4.3 Stations, airports, ports, docks, bridges, tunnels, gas stations, vehicles, and underground structures, etc. 4. Forest areas, mining areas, oil fields, and offshore drilling platforms, etc. 4.5 Other locations where fire safety signs should be installed. 5 Principles for Installation 5.1 In crowded public places such as shopping malls (stores), theaters, entertainment venues, sports stadiums, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, high-rise apartments, and lobbies for waiting for buses, ships, or planes, emergency exits, evacuation passages, stairwells located at different levels (such as those in refuge floors), as well as ordinary swing-type evacuation doors installed next to photoelectric sensor-operated automatic doors or 360° revolving doors commonly used in large public buildings, must be equipped with appropriate “Emergency Exit” signs. In areas far from the emergency exits, the “Emergency Exit” sign should be placed together with the “Evacuation Route Direction” sign, and the arrow must point in the direction leading to the emergency exit. 5.2 One-way doors in emergency exits or evacuation passages must be equipped with a “push” sign on them, and a “pull” sign on the opposite side. 5.3 A “Do Not Lock” sign should be installed on the doors in emergency exits or evacuation passages. 5.4 A “No Blocking” sign should be placed in a prominent position in the evacuation passages or fire truck access roads. 5.5 A “Sliding Door” sign shall be installed on the sliding door, and the direction of the arrow on the sign must be consistent with the direction in which the door opens. 5.6 A “Break Panel” sign must be installed in places where the glass panel needs to be broken in order to obtain keys or door-opening tools, or in areas where the panel must be opened during evacuation to create an exit. 5.7 In various types of buildings, signs such as “Fire Extinguishing Equipment”, “Fire Extinguishers” and “Fire Hoses” should be installed at the locations where the concealed fire extinguishing equipment is kept. Signs indicating “Fire ladder” should be installed at the storage locations for outdoor fire ladders and those kept on site. In areas far from the storage location of fire-fighting equipment, fire extinguishing device signs should be installed together with directional aids. 5.8 Signs indicating “Fire Manual Starter” must be installed near devices such as manual fire alarm buttons and manual starters for fixed fire extinguishing systems. In areas far from the device, it should be installed in conjunction with direction assistance signs. 5.9 In areas without fire alarms or fire incident announcement speakers, a “Sound Alarm” sign should be installed accordingly. 5.10 A “Fire Alarm Phone” sign shall be installed in areas where fire alarm phones are available. In places without public telephones (such as phone booths), a “fire alarm phone” sign can also be installed. 5.11 In areas equipped with fire-fighting equipment such as underground fire hydrants, fire pump connectors, and above-ground fire hydrants that are not easily visible, signs indicating “Underground Fire Hydrant”, “Above-Ground Fire Hydrant”, and “Fire Pump Connector” should be installed. 5.12 Signs such as “No open flames,” “No smoking,” “No flammable materials,” “No ignition sources,” “No setting off firecrackers,” “Fire hazard – flammable materials,” “Fire hazard – oxides,” and “Explosion hazard – explosive substances” should be installed as appropriate in the following areas: a. At the entrances to production facilities or workshops with Class A, B, or C fire hazards, or within their fire protection zones ； b. At the entrances of warehouses with Class A, B, or C fire hazards or within their fire protection areas ； c. Within fire protection areas containing Class A, B, and C liquid storage tanks, stockyards, etc ； d. Within the fire protection zones of combustible or oxidizing gas storage tanks or tank farms and buildings, as well as stockyards ； e. Fuel and gas boiler rooms in civil buildings, oil-immersed transformer rooms, as well as shops, workshops, and storage areas where chemically flammable and explosive substances are stored or used, and in the areas surrounding them ； f. On vehicles transporting Class A, B, and C liquids and other hazardous chemicals ； g, in fire prevention areas such as forests and mines. 5.13 Signs indicating “Fire extinguishing by water is prohibited” should be installed in areas where substances that explode when exposed to water are stored, or where using water to extinguish fires could pose a danger to the surrounding environment. 5.14 In hotels, restaurants, shopping malls (stores), theaters, hospitals, libraries, archives (rooms), lobbies for waiting for buses (ships, planes), as well as in vehicles, ships, airplanes and other public places where smoking is prohibited by relevant regulations, signs indicating “No Smoking” should be installed. 5.15 Other areas where it is necessary to install fire safety signs. 6 Requirements for Installation 6.1 Fire safety signs shall be installed in prominent locations related to fire safety. There shall be no obstacles near the front of the sign or on it that could hinder public viewing. 6.2 Unless necessary, signs should generally not be placed on movable objects such as doors, windows, or shelves, nor should they be placed in locations that are often obscured by other objects ； the place. 6.3 When installing fire safety signs, it is necessary to avoid situations where the content of the signs is contradictory or repetitive. Use as few symbols as possible to convey the necessary information ； Express the message clearly. 6.4 Directional aid signs should be placed at passages where the public chooses a direction, and installed along the shortest route leading to the destination. 6.5 The fire safety signs installed should be positioned so that the viewing angle for most observers is close to 90°. 6.6 The size of fire safety signs is determined by the maximum viewing distance D. After determining the required maximum observation distance, the size of the required sign is determined in accordance with Appendix A of GB13495. The determination of the observation distance D refers to Appendix A (Reference) of this standard. 6.7 The offset distance X of the mark should be minimized as much as possible. For an observer at the maximum observation distance D, the offset angle 8 should generally not be greater than 5°, with a maximum of 15°. If constraints prevent meeting this requirement, the size of the sign should be increased appropriately to ensure it is visible enough. 6.8 The color of the mark shall remain unchanged under all relevant lighting conditions. 6.9 Materials for manufacturing fire safety signs 6.9.1 Evacuation signs should be made of non-combustible materials; otherwise, a protective cover made of glass or other non-combustible transparent materials should be installed over them. 6.9.2 The combustion properties of the materials used in signboards for other purposes shall meet the fire protection requirements of the location where they are used ； For non-evacuation signs used indoors, the oxygen index of their manufacturing materials must be no less than 32. 6.10 Requirements for the installation of fire safety signs in indoor areas and their entrances/exit points 6.10.1 Requirements for the installation of evacuation signs 6.10.1.1 In evacuation passages, “Emergency Exit” signs should be placed on the walls on both sides of the passage as well as at the corners; the upper edge of these signs should not be more than 1 meter above the ground level, as shown in Figure 2. The sign can also be placed directly on the ground, with a non-flammable, transparent, and sturdy protective cover placed over it, as shown in Figure 3. The distance between signs should not exceed 20 m, and the distance from the end of the bag-shaped walkway to a sign should not be more than 10 m. 6.10.1.2 At the exit of the evacuation passage, the “Emergency Exit” sign shall be installed on the edge of the door frame or above the door, at the location indicated as A or B in Figure 4. The upper edge of the marker spleen, measured from the ceiling, should be at a height Al of not less than 0.5 m. The height h2 of the lower edge of the sign at location A above the ground should not be less than 2.0 m. 6.10.1.3 If the ceiling height is low, markers can also be placed at positions C and D in Figure 4; the height of the center point of these markers above the ground level should be between 1.3 m and 1.5 m. 6.10.1.4 The lower edge of the evacuation sign hanging in the indoor lobby shall be no less than 2.0 m above the ground, as shown in Figure 5. 6.10.2 For other signs attached to interior walls and similar surfaces, the height of their center point above the ground should be between 1.3 m and 1.5 m. 6.10.3 The lower edge of other signs hung in the indoor lobby shall be no less than 2.0 m above the ground level. 6.10.4 Inside the premises and at their entrances and exits, fire safety signs should be placed in well-lit areas. In fire safety signs, prohibitory signs (circle with a slash) and warning signs (triangle) should have a minimum average illuminance on their surfaces of not less than 5 lx under normal conditions; the ratio of the minimum illuminance to the average illuminance (illuminance uniformity) should be not less than 0.7. Warning signs (squares) and their auxiliary signs shall meet the following requirements: 6.10.4.1 For warning signs and their auxiliary signs that require external lighting, the minimum average illuminance on their surfaces as well as the uniformity of illuminance under normal conditions must also satisfy the aforementioned requirements. In the event of a fire and a disruption in the normal lighting power supply, it should automatically switch to the emergency lighting power supply within 5 seconds, with the area being illuminated by the emergency lighting fixtures; the minimum average illuminance on the surfaces of signs as well as the uniformity of illuminance must still meet the aforementioned requirements. 6.10.4.2 Warning signs and their auxiliary signs equipped with internal lighting shall be able to automatically activate their internal lighting fixtures within 5 seconds when the illuminance of external lighting on the surface of the sign is less than 51 lux. In the event of a fire and when the normal power supply for the internal lighting is interrupted, it should automatically switch to the emergency lighting power supply within 5 seconds. Regardless of the power source used for internal lighting, the average brightness on the surface of the sign should be between 17 and 34 cd/m2. However, the maximum brightness in any small area should not exceed 80 cd/m2, while the minimum brightness should not be less than 15 cd/m2. The ratio of the maximum brightness to the minimum brightness should not be greater than 5:1. 6.10.4.3 For warning signs and their auxiliary signs made of self-luminous materials, the brightness of any luminous area on their surface shall not be less than 0.51 cd/m2. The ratio of the maximum to the minimum brightness on the surface of text-based signs should not exceed 3:2, while the ratio for graphic signs should not exceed 5:2. 6.11 Fire safety signs installed outdoors shall meet the following requirements: 6.11.1 For signs attached to buildings outdoors, the height of their center point above the ground shall not be less than 1.3 m. 6.11.2 The lower edge of signboards fixed to outdoor sign posts shall be at a height of more than 1.2 m above the ground. 6.11.2.1 For signs installed at the edge of the road, the inner edge of the sign should be at a distance of not less than 0.25 m from the surface of the road (or the shoulder), and the height of the lower edge of the sign above the road surface should be between 1.8 and 2.5 m. As shown in Figure 6. 6.11.2.2 For signs installed at the edge of the road, when installing them, the plane in which the sign is located should be perpendicular to the direction of travel or at an angle of 80° to 90° to it, as shown in Figure 7. 6.11.2.3 The distance from the warning signs placed at the edge of the road to the hazardous location shall be selected according to Table 1, based on the calculated driving speed of the road. Calculate the driving speed: km/h >60 ≤60. Mark the distance to the dangerous area in meters: 100–250, 20–100. 6.11.3 Fire safety signs should be installed in well-lit outdoor areas. Under normal conditions, the minimum average surface illuminance of various signs in use should be no less than 51x, and the illuminance uniformity should be no less than 0.7. Fire safety signs used at night or in darker environments should be equipped with lighting to meet their minimum average illumination requirements; they can also be made from self-luminous materials. Fire safety signs installed at the edge of roads for use by vehicles can also be made from retroreflective materials, with the reflection mechanism referred to in Appendix B (reference). 6.12 For underground works, “Emergency Exit” signs should be installed on both sides of the passageways as well as on the walls at turns. The center of the sign should be at a height of 1.0m to 1.2m above the ground; it can also be placed on the ground surface (as shown in Figure 3). The spacing between signs should not be more than 10m. The lighting of signs shall meet the requirements of clauses 6.10.4 and 6.13. 6.13 Provide emergency lighting power for signs; the continuous power supply duration shall meet the requirements of the relevant standards or specifications for the surrounding environment, but shall not be less than 20 minutes. 7 Setting Methods 7.1 Method 7.1.1 Attached type: Fire safety signs can be directly attached to buildings and other structures using methods such as nailing, sticking, or inlaying, as shown in B, C, and D of Figures 3 and 4. 7.1, 2 Suspended type: The sign is suspended in the desired position using rods, zippers, etc. Suitable for use in hotels, restaurants, lobbies of waiting areas for trains, ships, and planes, as well as entrances and exits. As shown in Figure 5. 7.1, 3-post type: Fix the sign board on the sign post and place it upright near its indicator. As shown in Figure 6. 7.2 Gaps 7.2.1 When two or more square fire safety signs are installed together, there should be a gap between each sign of at least 0.2 times the nominal size of the sign, as shown in Figure 8. 7.2.2 When two square markers in opposite directions are placed side by side, to avoid confusion, at least one marker’s width of space should be left between them, as shown in Figure 9. 7.2.3 When evacuation signs and fire extinguishing equipment signs are placed side by side with the same orientation, the fire extinguishing equipment sign should be placed above, while the evacuation sign should be placed below. The gap between the two marks should not be less than 0.2 times the nominal size of the mark. As shown in Figure 10. 7.2.4 Two or more signboards can be installed on a single sign post. But it cannot exceed 4. 7.2.4.1 They should be arranged in the order of warning signs (triangles), prohibition signs (circles with slashes), and guidance signs (squares), from top to bottom and from left to right, as shown in Figure 11. Refer to Figure 7.2.4.2; depending on the installation location, the placement of signs shall comply with the requirements of Clause 6.11.2 of this standard. 7.2.4.3 When square signs and signs of other shapes are installed together, the gap between a square sign and its sign post should be no less than 0.2 times the nominal size of the sign; the gap between signs of other shapes and their sign posts should be no less than 5 cm, as shown in Figure 11a. 7.2.4.4 When two or more triangular (circular) signs, or signs that are triangular, circular, and square, are installed on the same sign post, the gap between each sign should be no less than 5 cm, as shown in Figure 11b. 7.2.4.5 When two square sign plates are mounted on a single sign post, the gap between them should not be less than 0.2 times the nominal size of the sign, as shown in Figure 11c. 7.3 Fixing Methods 7.3.1 For fire safety signs that are attached, if nails are used for fixing them, circular and triangular signs should generally be secured at least at three points, while square and rectangular signs should be secured at least at four points. The fixed point should be selected at the area with the edge substrate color. For signs glued in place, the back should be coated with glue, or the edges and center point should be glued to secure them. 7.3.2 Fire safety signs installed on suspension systems shall be secured using at least two suspension rods (wires), and must not tilt after being hung. Lighter signs should be equipped with a more sturdy bracket before being hung. 7.3.3 Fire safety signs installed in a column format shall be firmly fixed to the sign post using bolts, pipe clamps, etc. 7.3.3.1 Fire safety signs installed outside windows should take into account the effect of wind pressure, which can be calculated using the following formula: P=0.5ρcυ2. Here, P represents the wind pressure per unit area, in Pa ； ρ──air density, generally taken as 1.2258 kg/m3 ； c──Wind coefficient (sign board c=1.2, sign pole c=0.7) ； υ──wind speed, m/s (usually 30‑50 m/s). After determining the external forces, stability checks are conducted for the sign, the sign post, the crossbeam, the connecting bolts, and the foundation, based on the different support methods of the sign, in order to determine the cross-sectional dimensions of various components. 7.3.3.2 If the strength of the sign is insufficient, its strength can be improved by methods such as thickening, adding reinforcement on the back side, or using flanging. 7.3.4 Fire safety signs installed in other ways shall be secure to ensure they can perform their intended function. 8 Inspection and Maintenance: Fire safety signs and lighting fixtures installed for this purpose should be inspected at least once every six months. They need to be repaired, replaced, or reinstalled promptly if any of the following conditions occur: a. Damage or loss ； b. The chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor of the mark exceed their applicable range (see Table C1 in Appendix C) ； c. The retroreflectivity coefficient of the retroreflective marker is less than 50% of the minimum reflectivity coefficient (see Table C2 in Appendix C) ； d. Fails to meet the requirements of clauses 6.10.4, 6.11.3, 6.12, and 6.13 of this standard. Appendix A: Methods for Determining the Observation Distance D and Examples (Reference) The observation distance should be determined based on the location where the sign is placed and the location from which it is observed. As shown in Figure A1a, if the sign is placed at point A and it is necessary to ensure that it is clearly visible to observers at the entrance, then the observation distance D is the distance from the eyes of the observers at the entrance to the sign. If it is required that the sign remain clearly visible to observers standing at any position in the room, then the maximum viewing distance D must be determined – that is, the distance from the eyes of an observer at the farthest point in the room to the sign. As shown in Figure A1b, if the marker is placed at A, then the maximum observation distance is D#A# ； If the marker is placed at B, then the maximum observation distance is D#B#. The maximum observation distance for A3 outdoor prohibition signs and warning signs should be determined based on the safe distance required to prompt a reaction from the observer, in accordance with the content of the prohibition or warning. For example, if it is required that lighting and open flames be prohibited within 20 meters of a hazardous materials warehouse, then the maximum observation distance D is 20 meters. The maximum observation distance D for signs installed at the edge of roads of size A4 should be determined based on the speed of fire trucks or other vehicles. For specific details, refer to the maximum observation distance recommended in Table A1. Table A1 Relationship between driving speed and maximum observation distance. Calculate the driving speed v, in km/h: v≥ 60, v

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