Understanding building site safety signs

Each year, a number of serious fires break out on sites and buildings undergoing refurbishment, making construction sites extremely hazardous environments. In fact, despite the downturn in construction due to the Covid-19 pandemic, data from CE Safety revealed 309 fires in buildings undergoing renovations in the UK between 2020-2021. 

By implementing suitable fire safety measures, sites remain compliant with legislation and any risk to site workers, visitors and members of the public is dramatically reduced. Here, we discuss construction site safety signage requirements and their role in keeping site workers alert and informed.

The law on construction site fire safety

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 dictates the measures and equipment required for general fire safety on sites. It states the responsible person – ie the main or principal contractor who is in control of the site – is required to carry out a risk assessment of the premises and introduce or update the appropriate measures to eliminate where possible risk to life and property from fire. What’s more, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) instructs that ‘suitable and sufficient steps must be taken to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the risk of injury to a person during the carrying out of construction work arising from fire or explosion’. It’s also worth noting the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) highlights that construction of timber frame buildings will require specialist additional measures. 

All this said, it’s crucial that anyone who attends a building site – workers, visitors, contractors etc – is fully informed and understands the risks of fire, where they are and any actions that must be taken in the event of a fire. Along with building site construction signs and regular training, fire safety signage plays an important role in communicating these potentially life-saving messages.

Health and safety signage requirements

Should a disaster break out, it’s imperative the reaction to it is as efficient as possible. People should be able to quickly locate the alarm (and know how to raise it), fire safety equipment, the nearest emergency escape routes and fire assembly points. The importance of fire safety signage shouldn’t be underestimated – it’s quite literally life-saving. 

In construction, no two sites are ever the same, hence the need for site-specific risk assessments and measures implemented accordingly. HSE’s Fire Safety in Construction offers fire safety guidance for anyone managing and carrying out construction work. Here, fire safety signage regulations state that escape routes must be clearly indicated by proper signs. 

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 set the standard for emergency escape signs. All signs must be durable enough to withstand site conditions, and all signs for doors, exits, routes and equipment must be a square or rectangular shape with a green background and white symbols and pictograms. CheckFire fire exit signs, featuring directional arrows, ensure all sites are compliant with legislation – contractors simply need to ensure signs are positioned where they’re least likely to be obstructed or obscured by smoke. This is usually stated to be two metres above the floor but is entirely site dependent. Additional signs are required for an efficient evacuation. Fire door signs with ‘keep locked’ or ‘keep clear’ may also provide information to site workers during their day-to-day working.

Fire safety equipment should be signposted to alert people to its existence. The fire sign is rectangular in shape and red with white wording and images. Construction site managers also need to consider fire extinguisher ID signs and fire assembly point signs, and ensure all workers and visitors are aware of them and understand what to do in the event of a fire. 

Maintenance of health and safety signs on building sites

Because of the fast-changing nature of a construction site, work carried out naturally progresses through stages. As a result, fire escape routes and exits may change, and so too should the health and safety signs on a building site – otherwise they will be irrelevant. HSE recommends that if circumstances change or a sign becomes inappropriate (if an escape route changes, for example), it should be removed. Signs should always give up-to-date clear guidance on actions to take in the event of a fire – it’s imperative they’re not misleading or contradictory.

In environments as hazardous as construction sites, raising awareness of risk and preventative measures – and ensuring everyone understands the building site health and safety signs – is crucial.

For more fire signage guidance or wider legislation surrounding fire safety, get in touch. To stay up to date with relevant industry news, sign up to our newsletter.