UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON

GUIDANCE ON NOTICE BOARDS AND POSTERS IN CORRIDORS

INTRODUCTION

This document is provided to guide departments on the arrangements that should be in place to prevent posters and notice boards in corridors from becoming a fire hazard.

The guidance covers University buildings that satisfy the following criteria:

  • The building has a fire alarm system that includes automatic fire detection (smoke detectors etc as part of the system).
  • The building covers more than two occupied levels (e.g. ground, first and second floors, or first, ground and basement).
  • The building has several means of escape (i.e. not a single staircase building).
  • The buildings are used for teaching/research/offices and NOT sleeping accommodation.

THE HAZARD

There is perceived to be a potential problem with excessive material on notice boards (and fly posting) or poorly placed boards which may hamper escape from the building or even cause/assist the spread of fire.

In addition to this, overloaded notice boards are not a useful way to display important material that everybody needs to know about – untidy boards tend not to get read and are therefore principally self-defeating.

THE SOLUTION

Posters and notices (even short publications) should be placed on official notice boards). These will need to be affixed to the wall and made of a suitable construction not including any particularly flammable materials. Ideally, they should be of a fire resisting construction with a glazed front panel, though this is not absolutely required. The only exceptions to this are:

a) Official safety signs as dictated in national guidance, and,

b) Temporary signs and notices used to aid new students to navigate persons to get to conferences etc. In these cases, the signs must be placed as sparingly as possible, and be laminated or secured in each corner so as to prevent them from flapping.

Permanent signs, normally of metal or high-density plastics that are installed in buildings to aid navigation round the building are not included in the definition of posters and notices.

The General Guidance is as follows:

a) Do not put displays on fire escape stairways or protected corridors which only offer escape in one direction (dead-end condition).

b) In other corridors displays should be kept away from: curtains, doors and sources of heat to minimise the risk of spreading fire.

c) Keep displays away from exits and ceiling voids that may lack fire barriers.

d) In circulation areas (e.g. corridors) not forming part of a protected route the total area used for display works should be minimised as much as possible.

The recommendations are a maximum of 3 metres in length with gaps of at least 1 metre between displays. In corridors flammable display materials should not be used immediately opposite each other.

Nick Greenwood Tech IOSH

Fire Safety Manager

1