It would make sense to remove the arrow altogether in this situation and have the arrows only on signs that are pointing TOWARDS the exit, and have no arrow on signs indicating that this IS the exit, maybe just an icon of a set of open double doors where the arrow would be. I'm sure I have also seen signs that have an illustration of steps for when you have to ascend or descend a flight of stairs to get to the exit.
That's basically the US standard. If you read exit and are facing the direction you need to head, then no arrow is required. If you need to turn left or right, then the appropriate arrow is required. In rare circumstances additional markings are required but the up and down arrows are not needed unless there is a specific confusing situation.
Interesting, we have always done it as Up for through-route and down before stairways or "exit below/ final doorway to outside". This way was how I was taught as you don't want someone going through a doorway and then climbing the stairs unless that is actually the only way to the exit.
Pointing down to the door you need to go through has always seemed like common sense to me, but when have the people making up regs ever used common sense? 🤣
@@elipsesisno it’s not people know an up arrow means straight ahead. They are in road signs and everything. Stick to regulations. People Changing these signs to fit how they think they should be WILL KILL PEOPLE people in wheelchairs rely on these signs to be right and give good indication to what’s what. Changing them to what other then the regs say puts lives at risk.
The standards people do my head in. Wouldn't it make sense for the arrow to point down on anything above ground level, so 10th floor down, 9th floor down and up only at ground level or when you did need to go up, from a basement for example?
God forbid anyone who's ever installed one makes it onto the IET committees. We might get some common sense regs then. Too busy polishing the brass buttons on their blazers and worrying about what sandwiches are on the lunchtime buffet.
No because everyone knows an arrow up means straight ahead. They are literally on most road signs and pretty much any direction signs. The arrows are not only for direction they also give indication to wheelchair users about what’s what. Not installing these signs to regulation put wheelchair users lives at risk in an a real emergency it’s vital these signs are installed correct and the right direction arrow is used
Hi, Thanks for the informative video. I was always told that if the Arrow was pointing up or left or right then it was telling you which way to go to find the nearest exit. It only points down when it is above the exit to show that this was the door to use to get out in the emergency.
The problem I have is if the sign is directly above a door and you are walking out on a flat plane then the arrow is highlighting the door as the exit in perception of your average person not the direction, I have seen circumstances where an up arrow would cause confusion thus I do believe it is subject to the building layout and positioning of the sign.... never in my life have I seen a power cut or fire alarm go off an people stand there going - do I exit forward or look for a cellar or staircase up, it is simply basic common sense as long as it is sighted in a good position to be relevant to the exit route.
If its above a door, and it's a crowded room, you may only be able to see the sign, not the door. So to me, the arrow is indicating where the door/exit is. If in a corridor, I would understand if the arrow was pointing up, indicating straight on.
Technically it should be an up legend to be in line with BS5266, You can't mix Euro and ISO legends within the same building. The Key thing for exit signage is that the signs need to be clear and unambiguous in an emergency / Panic situation. We now manufacture an ISO legend that has a down arrow but the norm should now be the UP unless you are directing someone down stairs
Imagine standing in front of a door looking out into the car park and wondering, during a fire, "does this weird sign mean I go out here or leap up into ceiling?"... emergency signage that requires thinking is useless and dangerous.
I can remember a time when things were a lot simpler. You just had the word EXIT on the sign . We was always taught in a fire or emergency you never run. But as can be seen on the sign that was incorrect. We are in fact supposed to run. My partner gets fed up with me as when we go out I’m always telling her on signs the arrow is pointing up when it should be down. Sad but true
Don't complain when you feel romantic later in life and she points at it and says it's pointing the wrong way - touché, even though you knew where it wanted to go!
If past the exit door, the ground is level, then the arrow should point up. If past the exit door there is a ramp or a step that takes you to a lower level then the arrow should point down.
A Final Exit sign above a door direct to the outside (fresh air) shouldn't have an arrow at all, and this defines the difference between a direction to travel or reaching a door to a safe place outdoors. Either way, having the arrow does no harm. It only really matters if, as you have already mentioned there is a specific direction to take on the other side of the door. e.g up from a basement and down from above. A caveat, be consistent with the existing. pendant being pendants lol.
The down-pointing arrow is the one I always think of as the ‘final exit’ sign. Up-pointing I think should be used for ‘progress forward or upward from this point’
Is a sign that is visible from both directions confusing? The example from Greg's is looking into the shop from the street but if viewed from that direction it is leading you the wrong way from the exit? (Obviously in that small space you would see the door but in a larger space it might send you the wrong way?)
I remember the old menvier sxm do not do a legend pointing up they only do, left right or down only. I had one once were I had to cut the legend so the arrow would point up at the bottom of the stairs to the fire exit fitted with panic bolts.
Amazing how many wholesalers don’t even know about the new LifePO 4 batteries and the requirements for the length of life of the battery required. Nearly all cheap bulk heads only have a warranty for one year of or the battery so technically needs replacement every year. But the box says 5 year warranty which just for the unit not the battery. 4 year warranty on battery or I don’t purchase. Maybe that’s why my prices are higher than everyone else In my area 😂
IMO the exit above the final door shouldn't have an arrow at all to indicate that it is the exit but we're kinda stuck with the way it is now so that opinion doesn't really matter much :)
All the emergency lights I fit now I put the arrow up . But you have to look at where you are fitting them as some need a different situation to direct the arrow 👍👍👍
The real problem is that as an electricien you learn to work on an electical installation and emerceny lighting is just something you do when your in the workplace. The same thing happens to data networks(UTP etc cables)fire protection and so on. I really do not care if the arrow is up or down most people will not notice it anyway. Furthermore,and i do not how how this works in the UK,the rules concerning emergency lightings are not laws(at least in The Netherlands)but norms and that means that the company that set up these rules make you pay to see these norms(if it´s a law you can read these for free)so we have lot´s of norms. Antother thing i have noticed is that in certain buidlings the signs with the arrow are not lit(meaning the only produce light when power fails). How does that work in the UK,i am curious.
This is the kind of thing there should be worldwide standards and agreement on. Then should be drilled and taught in school and the workplace. You may have just seconds to escape a modern fire with toxic smoke and intense heat, clear signage is critical
What you don't mention is the position of the figure. It should be separate from the doorway along the the route to the exit, and in the doorway for the final exit to the outside (can't quote standard, this is what our local fire brigade taught on office fire wardens course). This means that the sign in the church at 5:44 is wrong.
There are no signs with the figure separate from the doorway in ISO 7010. These were from The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and it's improper to mix the two standards in the same building.
Almost all Electricians drive, as do most of the people watching this. Which way are one way street arrows ?? And most road signs in the uk and Europe for carrying on in the same direction...??? Up, not down. Not hard to use the same method with fire safety signs.
@@w.o.o.d.y When mounted on the back of a service vehicle. There, "down" means "ignore this sign". But as I said, up and down arrows are of no consequence on the road as nobody in their right mind would direct cars to go up or down stairs. An emergency exit path for pedestrians can easily go through a staircase. Does an up arrow mean they should cross the staircase and exit a door on the same level or should they take the stairs up? Does a down arrow mean they should cross the staircase and exit a door on the same level or should they take the stairs down? There IS potential for confusion here as people, other than cars, CAN take stairs. That's why I'm on team "no arrow when the sign is on or above a door unless there are stairs to take directly behind it and even then I'd prefer the old sign that showed stairs with a diagonal arrow up/down above them". Nobody will interpret a sign without arrows as "stand here to escape".
Arrow up is just plain stupid when it has been down for decades. Idiots in an office strike again. And fancy fittings are all good and well, but rubbish from a maintenance point of view. Just how do we dispose of these lithium ion batteries when they do fail ? And how often will they go on fire ?
So at the start you bring up the question,then don't answer it & just try to promote a certain make,then watch the rest of the video to see that you don't answer the question and just ask everyone to ask the fire service!!,talk about wasting people's time 🙄
If either use is unclear to someone, then they are at the shallow end of the gene pool. The use of pictograms only is mad. Fine as an addition to the English text - EXIT or even EMERGENCY EXIT where the door is not for normal use.
Arrow up is just plain stupid when it has been down for decades. Idiots in an office strike again. And fancy fittings are all good and well, but rubbish from a maintenance point of view. Just how do we dispose of these lithium ion batteries when they do fail ? And how often will they go on fire ?
Ansell Adler exit sign 👉 hub.efixx.co.uk/ansell-adler
It would make sense to remove the arrow altogether in this situation and have the arrows only on signs that are pointing TOWARDS the exit, and have no arrow on signs indicating that this IS the exit, maybe just an icon of a set of open double doors where the arrow would be. I'm sure I have also seen signs that have an illustration of steps for when you have to ascend or descend a flight of stairs to get to the exit.
That's basically the US standard. If you read exit and are facing the direction you need to head, then no arrow is required. If you need to turn left or right, then the appropriate arrow is required. In rare circumstances additional markings are required but the up and down arrows are not needed unless there is a specific confusing situation.
Interesting, we have always done it as Up for through-route and down before stairways or "exit below/ final doorway to outside". This way was how I was taught as you don't want someone going through a doorway and then climbing the stairs unless that is actually the only way to the exit.
That's a good argument.
Pointing down to the door you need to go through has always seemed like common sense to me, but when have the people making up regs ever used common sense? 🤣
When you see an arrow pointing up it usually means up. So basically it's telling people (who aren't in the know) to go upstairs.
@@elipsesisno it’s not people know an up arrow means straight ahead. They are in road signs and everything.
Stick to regulations. People
Changing these signs to fit how they think they should be WILL KILL PEOPLE people in wheelchairs rely on these signs to be right and give good indication to what’s what. Changing them to what other then the regs say puts lives at risk.
The standards people do my head in. Wouldn't it make sense for the arrow to point down on anything above ground level, so 10th floor down, 9th floor down and up only at ground level or when you did need to go up, from a basement for example?
God forbid anyone who's ever installed one makes it onto the IET committees. We might get some common sense regs then. Too busy polishing the brass buttons on their blazers and worrying about what sandwiches are on the lunchtime buffet.
No because everyone knows an arrow up means straight ahead. They are literally on most road signs and pretty much any direction signs.
The arrows are not only for direction they also give indication to wheelchair users about what’s what. Not installing these signs to regulation put wheelchair users lives at risk in an a real emergency it’s vital these signs are installed correct and the right direction arrow is used
Hi, Thanks for the informative video. I was always told that if the Arrow was pointing up or left or right
then it was telling you which way to go to find the nearest exit. It only points down when it is above the
exit to show that this was the door to use to get out in the emergency.
The problem I have is if the sign is directly above a door and you are walking out on a flat plane then the arrow is highlighting the door as the exit in perception of your average person not the direction, I have seen circumstances where an up arrow would cause confusion thus I do believe it is subject to the building layout and positioning of the sign.... never in my life have I seen a power cut or fire alarm go off an people stand there going - do I exit forward or look for a cellar or staircase up, it is simply basic common sense as long as it is sighted in a good position to be relevant to the exit route.
In Australia, arrows are only used to point to the main exit point which is designated by a single running man
If its above a door, and it's a crowded room, you may only be able to see the sign, not the door. So to me, the arrow is indicating where the door/exit is. If in a corridor, I would understand if the arrow was pointing up, indicating straight on.
Technically it should be an up legend to be in line with BS5266, You can't mix Euro and ISO legends within the same building. The Key thing for exit signage is that the signs need to be clear and unambiguous in an emergency / Panic situation. We now manufacture an ISO legend that has a down arrow but the norm should now be the UP unless you are directing someone down stairs
Imagine standing in front of a door looking out into the car park and wondering, during a fire, "does this weird sign mean I go out here or leap up into ceiling?"... emergency signage that requires thinking is useless and dangerous.
I can remember a time when things were a lot simpler. You just had the word EXIT on the sign . We was always taught in a fire or emergency you never run. But as can be seen on the sign that was incorrect. We are in fact supposed to run.
My partner gets fed up with me as when we go out I’m always telling her on signs the arrow is pointing up when it should be down. Sad but true
😂
Don't complain when you feel romantic later in life and she points at it and says it's pointing the wrong way - touché, even though you knew where it wanted to go!
If past the exit door, the ground is level, then the arrow should point up. If past the exit door there is a ramp or a step that takes you to a lower level then the arrow should point down.
It would make more sense if an up or down arrow showed a change in height/stairs etc. and just a running man shows the exit
A Final Exit sign above a door direct to the outside (fresh air) shouldn't have an arrow at all, and this defines the difference between a direction to travel or reaching a door to a safe place outdoors. Either way, having the arrow does no harm. It only really matters if, as you have already mentioned there is a specific direction to take on the other side of the door. e.g up from a basement and down from above. A caveat, be consistent with the existing. pendant being pendants lol.
just remember Yazz got it right, the only way is up.
😂😂😂
Unless you are going down !
So status quo’s down down is wrong?
The down-pointing arrow is the one I always think of as the ‘final exit’ sign. Up-pointing I think should be used for ‘progress forward or upward from this point’
Is a sign that is visible from both directions confusing? The example from Greg's is looking into the shop from the street but if viewed from that direction it is leading you the wrong way from the exit? (Obviously in that small space you would see the door but in a larger space it might send you the wrong way?)
Did Gaz fill up at Greggs 🥘
For Australia we have no arrow if the exit is there
I remember the old menvier sxm do not do a legend pointing up they only do, left right or down only. I had one once were I had to cut the legend so the arrow would point up at the bottom of the stairs to the fire exit fitted with panic bolts.
Amazing how many wholesalers don’t even know about the new LifePO 4 batteries and the requirements for the length of life of the battery required. Nearly all cheap bulk heads only have a warranty for one year of or the battery so technically needs replacement every year. But the box says 5 year warranty which just for the unit not the battery.
4 year warranty on battery or I don’t purchase. Maybe that’s why my prices are higher than everyone else In my area 😂
And he used the wrong key in that mk switch.
IMO the exit above the final door shouldn't have an arrow at all to indicate that it is the exit but we're kinda stuck with the way it is now so that opinion doesn't really matter much :)
Above the door to the outside, no arrow. You have reached the exit no more directions needed
Emergency lighting usually extends beyond the door.
@@efixx I know that, but it's the arrows were talking not the light. And also an exit sign isn't classes as an emergency light
All the emergency lights I fit now I put the arrow up .
But you have to look at where you are fitting them as some need a different situation to direct the arrow 👍👍👍
Great video guys.
I wasn’t aware of the difference in green colours, good shout.
Ps nice bit of conduit to the Em fitting , may I say 🤣
👊😎👍💙
We had the pros in Pegasus 👍🏻
Could you post a link for the technical statement if it’s available? 👍
The real problem is that as an electricien you learn to work on an electical installation and emerceny lighting is just something you do when your in the workplace. The same thing happens to data networks(UTP etc cables)fire protection and so on.
I really do not care if the arrow is up or down most people will not notice it anyway.
Furthermore,and i do not how how this works in the UK,the rules concerning emergency lightings are not laws(at least in The Netherlands)but norms and that means that the company that set up these rules make you pay to see these norms(if it´s a law you can read these for free)so we have lot´s of norms.
Antother thing i have noticed is that in certain buidlings the signs with the arrow are not lit(meaning the only produce light when power fails).
How does that work in the UK,i am curious.
This is the kind of thing there should be worldwide standards and agreement on.
Then should be drilled and taught in school and the workplace.
You may have just seconds to escape a modern fire with toxic smoke and intense heat, clear signage is critical
Up, it goes in the direction of travel. Both is acceptable but it should be in the direction you're not running .
As its an infomercial for ansell.... I clicked the link to their website, where the photometric data ??
What you don't mention is the position of the figure. It should be separate from the doorway along the the route to the exit, and in the doorway for the final exit to the outside (can't quote standard, this is what our local fire brigade taught on office fire wardens course). This means that the sign in the church at 5:44 is wrong.
There are no signs with the figure separate from the doorway in ISO 7010. These were from The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and it's improper to mix the two standards in the same building.
In case of emergency, pray there is a god (up arrow), for everyone else in an emergency... looking for the door lol
2:28 using the wrong key! ok it works but still the wrong key 🙃
A Click in a MK shame
Almost all Electricians drive, as do most of the people watching this. Which way are one way street arrows ?? And most road signs in the uk and Europe for carrying on in the same direction...??? Up, not down. Not hard to use the same method with fire safety signs.
Streets don't have stair(case)s...
@@HenryLoenwind and where do you see a vertically down arrow on the street ??
@@w.o.o.d.y When mounted on the back of a service vehicle. There, "down" means "ignore this sign".
But as I said, up and down arrows are of no consequence on the road as nobody in their right mind would direct cars to go up or down stairs.
An emergency exit path for pedestrians can easily go through a staircase. Does an up arrow mean they should cross the staircase and exit a door on the same level or should they take the stairs up? Does a down arrow mean they should cross the staircase and exit a door on the same level or should they take the stairs down? There IS potential for confusion here as people, other than cars, CAN take stairs.
That's why I'm on team "no arrow when the sign is on or above a door unless there are stairs to take directly behind it and even then I'd prefer the old sign that showed stairs with a diagonal arrow up/down above them". Nobody will interpret a sign without arrows as "stand here to escape".
@@HenryLoenwind which is why there should be a cranked arrow sign to indicate to go up or down on the escape journey.
when i was doing my fire training the arrows are supposed to denote the direction you are supposed to take once you have gone through the door
Yes, but do you want to climb the wall or burrow into the ground?
Shame the ones with just the red 'EXIT' are no longer allowed. I always thought these were the best looking ones.
Arrow up is just plain stupid when it has been down for decades. Idiots in an office strike again. And fancy fittings are all good and well, but rubbish from a maintenance point of view. Just how do we dispose of these lithium ion batteries when they do fail ? And how often will they go on fire ?
How often does your mobile phone catch on fire?
@@HenryLoenwind What colour is the sky ?
Up is for internal straight ahead down is final exit although up for final exit is also acceptable.
People keep mentioning stairs, but I'm pretty sure there's running men for that
We need a representation of a forward arrow. Alternatively use the word "EXIT" which has been in use since Greek times.
Why did they remove the word EXIT from the sign? I think the final exit point should point down to indicate that.
So signs are harmonised across different countries and don’t need languages.
Salida, Ausfhart etc
Am I the only one that remembers being told” never run in an emergency” walk to the nearest exit. Yet the sign show a running symbol 🤷🏻♂️
You point towards the exit, so if the door is below the sign you point down. If the sign was away from the door you would point up.
Was this a paid promotion
So at the start you bring up the question,then don't answer it & just try to promote a certain make,then watch the rest of the video to see that you don't answer the question and just ask everyone to ask the fire service!!,talk about wasting people's time 🙄
Or just look in the timestamps for the video where you'll see links to discussion about ICEL guidance and older regulations.
If either use is unclear to someone, then they are at the shallow end of the gene pool. The use of pictograms only is mad. Fine as an addition to the English text - EXIT or even EMERGENCY EXIT where the door is not for normal use.
Arrow up is just plain stupid when it has been down for decades. Idiots in an office strike again. And fancy fittings are all good and well, but rubbish from a maintenance point of view. Just how do we dispose of these lithium ion batteries when they do fail ? And how often will they go on fire ?