What Does a Blue Sign on a Fire Door Mean?

In order to ensure that all of your staff and site visitors are able to access and use fire doors whenever they are needed, it is essential to have the right fire safety signs in place. These safety signs will inform everyone on the premises how to operate the fire exits correctly, and prevent these doors from being obstructed or improperly used at other times.

Here, we will answer some of the most commonly asked questions about safety signs for fire doors, including the purpose of blue fire safety signs placed on fire exits, and the factors you will need to consider when investing in fire door safety signs.

Why blue fire safety signs are essential for emergency exits

All safety signs are designed to enhance workplace safety by providing everyone present with concise and highly visible information on how to work and operate on site, in full compliance with health and safety regulations. This is particularly important in matters of fire safety, as fire hazards can emerge quickly, and everyone needs to know where to find the emergency instructions that can protect them when the fire alarm goes off.

This is why blue fire safety signs play such a crucial role in the proper use of fire doors and fire escape routes. This type of fire safety sign - which comes in the form of a blue circle, attached to the surface of the fire door itself - is used to communicate vital fire safety instructions to anyone passing by the door. This includes:

• "Fire Door: Keep Shut" signs to ensure that the doors are not wedged open, which prevents them from containing flames and smoke
• "Automatic Fire Door: Keep Clear" signs, used to prevent people from accidentally obstructing self-opening and self-closing fire doors
• "Keep Locked Shut" signs, which will ensure that fire doors are not being used inappropriately in non-emergency situations

Your site's blue safety signs may also feature other messages, depending on the specific needs of the workplace. In some cases, they will include instructions to keep a fire exit unlocked as long as the premises are occupied, or to keep the entranceway clear of goods, bins, discarded rubbish and other potential obstructions.

Blue safety signs are also known as mandatory signs, so called because they provide instructions of a mandatory nature, which must be followed in order to keep everyone safe. This contrasts with red signs, known as prohibition signs, which tell people what not to do, and yellow warning signs that offer information on a specific hazard; if you want to know more about the meaning of different colours of safety signs,read our safety sign colour guide.

By communicating these messages, fire safety signage of all colours works to ensure that your fire doors are being used correctly, in line with every relevant legal requirement, and that everyone knows what to do at all times.

What other fire exit signs does my site require?

In addition to the blue circle signs featured on fire doors, there are a number of other essential and potentially lifesaving fire safety signs and signals that commercial sites must have in place to ensure that employees and visitors can find the fire exits in case of emergency.

This includes:

• Fire exit location signs that provide directional arrows to help people find the emergency exits
• Fire safety instruction signs that inform users of how to open or operate the fire door - for example, whether the door needs to be pushed, pulled or slid open, or if there is a pad or bar that needs to be pushed
• Signs that indicate whether the specific emergency exit is suitable for wheelchair users or people with particular needs

The type of fire safety signs your workplace will require is going to depend on the layout of your premises and how each fire door operates. As such, you must consider these factors when carrying out a fire risk assessment for your site, and make sure you are investing in the right type and quantity of fire safety signs, in line with all relevant signs and signals regulations.

When used correctly, fire exit signs can have just as important an impact on your site's overall health and safety standards as dedicated fire fighting equipment.

Find out more

If you are looking for fire safety signs to ensure your fire exits are used correctly, take a look at our complete range of fire door signs and fire exit signs. To learn more about safety signs in general and how to use them in your workplace, take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Safety Signs.

You can also browse our full range of safety signs online at SafetyBuyer, or call us on 0800 043 1061 if you have any questions.