Part E4 Visibility in an emergency, exit signs and warning systems
Introduction to this Part
This Part is intended to provide a minimum level of visibility in evacuation routes in an emergency, including emergency lighting and signage to assist in locating and identifying exits. This part also includes requirements for emergency warning and intercom systems to alert occupants and assist evacuation.
Objectives
E4O1
Objective
2019: EO4
Functional Statements
E4F1
Visibility in an emergency, exit signs and warning systems
2019: EF4.1
Performance Requirements
E4P1
Visibility in an emergency
2019: EP4.1
To facilitate safe evacuation in an emergency, a building must be provided with a system that—
- ensures a level of visibility sufficient to enable exits, paths of travel to exits and any obstacles along a path of travel to an exit to be identified; and
- activates instantaneously upon the failure of an artificial lighting system, to the degree necessary, appropriate to—
- the function or use of the building; and
- the floor area of the building; and
- the distance of travel to an exit.
Limitations
E4P1 does not apply to the internal parts of a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2, 3 or 9c building or Class 4 part of a building.
E4P2
Identification of exits
2019: EP4.2
To facilitate evacuation, suitable signs or other means of identification must, to the degree necessary—
Limitations
E4P2 does not apply to the internal parts of a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or 3 or Class 4 part of a building.
E4P3
Emergency warning and intercom systems
2019: EP4.3
To warn occupants of an emergency and assist evacuation of a building, an emergency warning and intercom system must be provided, to the degree necessary, appropriate to—
- the floor area of the building; and
- the function or use of the building; and
- the height of the building.
Verification Methods
E4V1
Emergency lighting
2019: EV4.1
- 0.2 lux at floor level in the path of travel to an exit; and
- 1 lux at each floor level or tread in every required—
- fire-isolated stairway; or
- fire-isolated passageway; or
- fire-isolated ramp; or
- non-fire-isolated stairway; or
- non-fire-isolated ramp.
E4V2
Fire Safety Verification Method
2019: EV4.2
Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions
E4D1
Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions
2019: E4.0
- E4D2 to E4D9; and
- in a building containing an atrium, Part G3; and
- in a building in an alpine area, Part G4; and
- for a building containing an occupiable outdoor area, Part G6; and
- for additional requirements for Class 9b buildings, Part I1; and
- for farm buildings and farm sheds, Part I3.
E4D2
Emergency lighting requirements
2019: E4.2
An emergency lighting system must be installed—
- in every fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; and
- in every storey of a Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 building where the storey has a floor area more than 300 m2—
- in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, that is part of the path of travel to an exit; and
- in any room having a floor area more than 100 m2 that does not open to a corridor or space that has emergency lighting or to a road or open space; and
- in any room having a floor area more than 300 m2, except that—
- in a farm building any area primarily used for the storage of hay can be excluded when calculating the floor area of the storey or room of the building for the purpose of determining emergency lighting requirements; and
- emergency lighting is not required in a farm building where automatic back-up power is provided by a fuel driven back-up generator or where no artificial lighting is provided in the building; and
- an emergency lighting system is not required in a farm shed, Group C farm building or at ground floor level in cell type silos or storage sheds; and
- in a bulk grain storage facility the spacing of emergency lights can be increased to twice the distance required for Class 7 buildings; and
- in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, having a length of more than 6 m from the entrance doorway of any sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building to the nearest doorway opening directly to—
- a fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; or
- an external stairway serving instead of a fire-isolated stairway under D2D13; or
- an external balcony leading to a fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; or
- a road or open space; and
- in every required non-fire-isolated stairway; and
- in a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 5, 6 or 9 building if—
- the floor area of the unit is more than 300 m2; and
- an exit from the unit does not open to a road or open space or to an external stairway, passageway, balcony or ramp, leading directly to a road or open space; and
- in every room or space to which there is public access in every storey in a Class 6 or 9b building if—
- the floor area in that storey is more than 300 m2; or
- any point on the floor of that storey is more than 20 m from the nearest doorway leading directly to a stairway, ramp, passageway, road or open space; or
- egress from that storey involves a vertical rise within the building of more than 1.5 m, or any vertical rise if the storey concerned does not admit sufficient light; or
- the storey provides a path of travel from any other storey required by (i), (ii) or (iii) to have emergency lighting; and
- in a Class 9a health-care building—
- in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, serving a treatment area or a ward area; and
- in every room having a floor area of more than 120 m2 in a patient care area; and
- in every Class 9c building excluding within sole-occupancy units; and
- in every required fire control centre; and
- in an underground passage in a bulk grain storage facility.
Emergency lighting requirements
An emergency lighting system must be installed—
- in every fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; and
- in every storey of a Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 building where the storey has an area more than 300 m2—
- in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, that is part of the path of travel to an exit; and
- in any room having a floor area more than 100 m2 that does not open to a corridor or space that has emergency lighting or to a road or open space; and
- in any room having a floor area more than 300 m2; and
- in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, having a length of more than 6 m from the entrance doorway of any sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building to the nearest doorway opening directly to—
- a fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; or
- an external stairway serving instead of a fire-isolated stairway under D2D13; or
- an external balcony leading to a fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; or
- a road or open space; and
- in every required non-fire-isolated stairway; and
- in a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 5, 6 or 9 building if—
- the floor area of the unit is more than 300 m2; and
- an exit from the unit does not open to a road or open space or to an external stairway, passageway, balcony or ramp, leading directly to a road or open space; and
- in every room or space to which there is public access in every storey in a Class 6 or 9b building if—
- the floor area in that storey is more than 300 m2; or
- any point on the floor of that storey is more than 20 m from the nearest doorway leading directly to a stairway, ramp, passageway, road or open space; or
- egress from that storey involves a vertical rise within the building of more than 1.5 m, or any vertical rise if the storey concerned does not admit sufficient light; or
- the storey provides a path of travel from any other storey required by (i), (ii) or (iii) to have emergency lighting; and
- in a Class 9a health-care building—
- in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, serving a treatment area or a ward area; and
- in every room having a floor area of more than 120 m2 in a patient care area; and
- in every Class 9c building excluding within sole-occupancy units; and
- in every required fire control centre.
E4D3
Measurement of distance
2019: E4.3
Distances, other than vertical rise, must be measured along the shortest path of travel whether by straight lines, curves or a combination of both.
E4D4
Design and operation of emergency lighting
2019: E4.4
Every required emergency lighting system must comply with AS/NZS 2293.1.
E4D5
Exit signs
2019: E4.5
An exit sign must be clearly visible to persons approaching the exit, and must be installed on, above or adjacent to each—
- door providing direct egress from a storey to—
- door from an enclosed stairway, passageway or ramp at every level of discharge to a road or open space; and
- horizontal exit; and
- door serving as, or forming part of, a required exit in a storey required to be provided with emergency lighting in accordance with E4D2; and
- requiredexit in a farm building.
Exit signs
An exit sign must be clearly visible to persons approaching the exit, and must be installed on, above or adjacent to each—
- door providing direct egress from a storey to—
- door from an enclosed stairway, passageway or ramp at every level of discharge to a road or open space; and
- horizontal exit; and
- door serving as, or forming part of, a required exit in a storey required to be provided with emergency lighting in accordance with E4D2.
E4D6
Direction signs
2019: E4.6
If an exit is not readily apparent to persons occupying or visiting the building, then exit signs must be installed—
- in appropriate positions in corridors, hallways, lobbies, foyers, auditoria, and the like, indicating the direction to a required exit; and
- in a Class 9b building used as an entertainment venue — in any external egress path to a road where the exit does not open directly onto a road.
Direction signs
E4D7
Class 2 and 3 buildings and Class 4 parts: exemptions
2019: E4.7
E4D5 does not apply to—
- a Class 2 building in which every door referred to is clearly and legibly labelled on the side remote from the exit or balcony—
- with the word “EXIT” in capital letters 25 mm high in a colour contrasting with that of the background; or
- by some other suitable method; and
- an entrance door of a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building.
E4D8
Design and operation of exit signs
2019: E4.8
- comply with—
- AS/NZS 2293.1; or
- for a photoluminescent exit sign, Specification 25; and
- be clearly visible at all times when the building is occupied by any person having the right of legal entry to the building.
- a farm building where—
- a farm shed.
Design and operation of exit signs
Every required exit sign must—
- comply with—
- AS/NZS 2293.1; or
- for a photoluminescent exit sign, Specification 25; and
- be clearly visible at all times when the building is occupied by any person having the right of legal entry to the building.
E4D9
Emergency warning and intercom systems
2019: E4.9
An emergency warning and intercom system complying, where applicable, with AS 1670.4 must be installed—
- in a building with an effective height of more than 25 m; and
- in a Class 3 building having a rise in storeys of more than 2 and used as—
- the residential part of a primary or secondary school; or
- accommodation for the aged, children or people with a disability; and
- in a Class 3 building used as a residential care building, except that the system—
- must be arranged to provide a warning for occupants; and
- in areas used by the residents, may have its alarm adjusted in volume and content to minimise trauma consistent with the type and condition of residents; and
- in a Class 9a building having a floor area of more than 1000 m2 or a rise in storeys of more than 2, and the system—
- must be arranged to provide a warning for occupants; and
- in a ward area, may have its alarm adjusted in volume and content to minimise trauma consistent with the type and condition of patients; and
- in a Class 9b building—
- used as a school and having a rise in storeys of more than 3; or
- used as a theatre, public hall, or the like, having a floor area more than 1000 m2 or a rise in storeys of more than 2.