Know Your Safety Signs: Colors Used on Fire Exit Signs

In the event of an emergency, say a fire, would you immediately know what to do? Fire safety rules are posted in the 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 fire fighting equipment? The purpose of a fire escape or fire escape is to help you at 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 colour. In the US they would sometimes be red, but this also depends on several things. The first thing to be aware of is the building code that only allows green signs to be placed.

The reasons for this are varied. Some people may not be able to clearly tell that a red exit sign is pointing towards an exit on a flame due to the colour. One theory is that the color red cannot be easily distinguished from the flames at a distance that would cause a trapped victim to miss the exit entirely.

Also, if someone can’t read English and comes across the red lettering sign that is normally a “no trespassing” 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. These are some of the theories behind it. Of course, other things come into play when choosing which colors to use on exit signs, such as the color of the rooms and the height of the signs, but green is the acceptable color by all accounts.

White is commonly used with green on exit signs and the sign itself must be illuminated to be readable. It must be visible in the dark. The word “exit” has been used in signs in the past as a standalone in 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 now the universally accepted signal for an exit, whether the signal is green or red. This illustration can come with arrows or stairs illustrations. The word “exit” can be printed in more than one language next to it, or it can be omitted entirely. Either way, people understand what the running man means: you can get out this way. In some cases, he is wheelchair bound, which means that particular exit is wheelchair friendly.

If the sign gives you information about fire safety, it will likely be the standard colors of blue (background) and white (writing). They are usually printed and posted next to fire safety devices such as a fire alarm, fire extinguisher, or hose.

The 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 your building’s standards; 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 in spades.