If a fire starts, everyone in the building must be able to reach a place of safety quickly, without help from the fire service. That depends on escape routes that are clear, protected from fire and smoke, well lit and well signed.

Fire wardens have an important part to play. Many escape routes fail not because of how they were built, but because of what happens to them day to day: a stack of boxes, a locked door or a fire door wedged open.

Fire escape routes and exits are vital for getting people out safely in an emergency. They should lead people away from the building as directly as possible to a designated place of safety. Usually that is an outdoor assembly point, but in particular locations, such as chemical works, it may be a specially protected area. All emergency routes and exits must match your workplace's fire risk assessment.

Every workplace must give people proper escape routes and exits to a safe outdoor location, with clear signs, and the routes should be shown on a floor plan that all staff understand. On construction sites, plans must allow for the changing nature of the site, and routes should be reviewed regularly as part of the on-site health and safety monitoring.

In this module you will learn about:

• What makes a safe escape route.
• Fire exits, and keeping routes clear.
• Fire doors, and why they must be kept closed.
• Refuges and evacuation for people with disabilities.
• Emergency lighting.
• Fire safety signs.

Escape routes must lead as directly as possible to a place of safety outside the building. A good escape route:

• Is short enough to be used quickly, with more than one route available where the risk requires it.
• Is wide enough for the number of people who will use it.
• Has a firm, even, non-slip floor, with no trip hazards.
• Is protected from fire and smoke by fire-resisting walls and fire doors.
• Leads to a final exit that opens easily and leads to open air, away from the building.

The Fire Safety Order sets out requirements for emergency routes and exits. In most workplaces, every part of the building should have at least two escape routes, completely independent of each other. The flooring, stairs and steps along them must be even, well maintained and slip-resistant. Emergency doors should be easy for anyone to open when escaping. They must never be locked or fastened with anything other than a user-friendly mechanism such as an emergency push bar or a release button.

Doors used as emergency exits must not be sliding or revolving, and evacuation routes should not run close to hazardous areas such as chemical storage. Your workplace must keep a floor plan that clearly shows the emergency routes and exits, ideally colour-coded, and employees should have a copy or know where to find one.

• Fire exit doors should open in the direction of escape, and must be easy to open from the inside without a key, for example with a push bar.
• Fire exits must never be locked, chained or blocked while people are in the building.
• Nothing should be stored in escape routes, stairways or lobbies, even temporarily. Combustible items are especially dangerous there.
• The outside of the final exit must also be kept clear, including from parked vehicles, bins and deliveries.
• Sliding doors, revolving doors and lifts should not be relied on as escape routes.

Fire doors hold back fire and smoke, usually for at least 30 minutes, protecting escape routes and stairways. To work, they must be closed when a fire starts.

• Never wedge or prop open a fire door. If a door needs to be open, it can be fitted with a device that releases it when the alarm sounds.
• Check that the door closes fully on its own, with no large gaps around the edges.
• Check that the hinges, closer, seals and any glass are undamaged.
• Fire doors are usually marked Fire Door Keep Shut, or Fire Door Keep Locked for cupboards.

Report any fire door that is damaged or does not close properly.

Escape routes and exits must also stop fire and smoke from spreading. Routes should be enclosed by materials that resist fire and smoke for a time set by the risk assessment, especially shared and communal routes. Fire doors are rated by resistance time, for example 30 minutes, FD30, or 60 minutes, FD60, or longer. All fire doors should have self-closing devices that close them from any angle, and doors that are normally locked should release when the alarm sounds, which is tested along with the alarms.

Fire doors must be kept closed unless fitted with an appropriate automatic hold-open device that releases on fire alarm activation, because this limits the spread of smoke and fire and the fire's access to oxygen. As a fire warden, watch for fire doors being propped open and act to put it right. Stairwells need ventilators to clear smoke. During an evacuation you will also make sure windows and doors are closed.

Some people cannot use stairs, or need more time or help to escape. The emergency plan must provide for them.

• A refuge is a protected area, usually in a stairway or lobby, where a person can wait safely for a short time while help arrives.
• Refuges should have a way to call for help, such as an emergency voice communication system.
• Nobody should be left in a refuge without someone knowing, and a plan for getting them out.
• Evacuation chairs, and staff trained to use them, may be needed to help people down the stairs.

Lifts must not be used in a fire, unless they are specially designed evacuation lifts operated under the emergency plan.

People with disabilities may need help during an evacuation, or somewhere to rest along the escape route. Businesses should therefore set up designated places called refuges, where disabled people and volunteers can meet or rest if they need to. A refuge needs suitable signage that is clear and easy to understand, so that people can recognise it. It also needs two-way communication so the person in the refuge can tell someone where they are if necessary.

It is vital that refuges are well managed and maintained so that the people who use them are safe and properly looked after. One important point: a refuge is not somewhere to wait for the fire and rescue service to arrive. Evacuation procedures should still be followed, and people should continue to the assembly point.

If the power fails during a fire, emergency lighting comes on automatically so that people can still see their way out.

• It is needed along escape routes, on stairways, at exits and changes of direction, and in areas without daylight.
• It also lights up fire alarm call points and fire fighting equipment.
• It must be tested regularly: a short test every month, and a full test of the battery duration, usually three hours, every year.

Emergency lighting is installed and maintained to British Standard BS 5266. Report any light that is not working or has a fault indicator.

Adequate emergency lighting must be provided on both internal and external escape routes, together with illuminated signs, so that people can find their way if the power fails. The lighting must be bright enough and properly placed, and it must come on automatically when normal lighting fails. It should be located along all escape routes, near intersections in corridors, at every change of direction except on staircases, and close to each staircase so that every flight is lit.

It should also be near changes in floor level, in spaces larger than 60 square metres, next to emergency escape signs and at every exit door. Place it near equipment that has to be shut down in an emergency, in windowless rooms and toilets over 8 square metres, and near fire-fighting equipment such as extinguishers and alarm call points.

Fire safety signs use colours and shapes that are the same across Europe:

• Green signs, with the running figure and an arrow, show escape routes and fire exits.
• Red signs show fire fighting equipment and alarm call points.
• Blue circular signs give mandatory instructions, such as Fire Door Keep Shut.
• Red circles with a line through give prohibitions, such as do not use lifts in a fire.
• Yellow triangles warn of hazards, such as flammable materials.

Signs must be clear, visible and kept in place. Fire action notices explain what to do in a fire, and should be displayed at call points and exits.

Fire signs show where the escape routes and other fire safety measures are, so that everybody in the building can easily see where to go. To do this properly, escape route signs must be displayed along all exit routes, above doors and at every change of direction in corridors, stairs or open spaces. A sign showing the nearest fire escape route should be visible from anywhere in the building.

Signs should mainly use pictograms so they can be understood universally, including by people with visual impairments or whose first language is not English. Direction signs go above doors rather than on them, so they stay visible when the door is open. The sign above a final exit door shows a running person and the word exit, without arrows. Braille and tactile signs should be available where needed. All signs must be lit or reflective, and inspected and cleaned regularly.

Several other signing practices support the emergency response. All fire-fighting equipment, such as extinguishers, should have signs showing where it is, so people can find it quickly. Doors that are not emergency exits but might be mistaken for them, such as storerooms or toilets, must be clearly marked to avoid confusion during an evacuation. Escape signs must never be blocked by other signs, banners or decorations.

Because fire doors prevent the spread of fire, a "Fire door keep shut" sign should be displayed on every fire door, reminding people to keep it closed when not in use. A "Fire action" sign should be placed next to every manual alarm call point, giving clear instructions on what to do if you discover a fire. These practices keep the workplace organised during an emergency.

Knowing what the common fire signs mean helps everyone respond properly. Fire escape signs give clear directions along the routes people should follow, displayed along pathways and above doors and leading to the nearest safe exit. The fire assembly point sign marks the designated place where everyone gathers after leaving the building, which is essential for accountability and further instructions. Knowing where it is helps make sure everyone is accounted for.

The fire action poster is displayed next to every manual alarm call point and sets out what individuals should do if there is a fire, so become familiar with it. The "Fire door keep shut" sign is placed on both sides of every fire door as a reminder to keep it closed when not in use, because a shut fire door protects people and property.