Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

13.11.4 Lighting
Escape routes must be well lit. If the route has only arti-
fi cial lighting or if it is used during the hours of darkness, 
alternative sources of lighting should be considered 
in case the power fails during a fi re. Check the routes 
when it is dark as, for example, there may be street light-
ing outside that provides suffi cient illumination. In small 
workplaces it may be enough to provide the staff with 
torches that they can use if the power fails. However, 
it may be necessary to provide battery operated emer-
gency lights so that if the mains lighting fails the lights 
will operate automatically. Candles, matches and ciga-
rette lighters are not adequate forms of emergency 
lighting.
13.11.5 Signs
Exit signs on doors or indi-
cating exit routes should 
be provided where they will 
help people to fi nd a safe 
escape route. Signs on exit 
routes should have directional arrows, ‘up’ for straight 
on and ‘left, right or down’ according to the route to be 
taken. Advice on the use of all signs including exit signs 
can be found in an HSE publication, Safety Signs and 
Signals, available from HSE Books.
13.11.6 Escape 
times
Everyone in the building should be able to get to the 
nearest place of safety in between 2 and 3 minutes. This 
*To an exit (open air where persons can disperse safely) storey exit (staircase separated from the remainder of the premises by fi re resisting walls 
and self closing fi re doors, etc) or a compartment wall (fi re resisting wall and self closing fi re doors).
Maximum Travel
Low Fire
Normal Risk –
Normal Fire
Normal Fire
High Fire
Distances* 
Risk 
Production Areas 
Risk