IMO Safety Signs & Markings in Juaymah Terminal.

IMO safety signs and shipboard markings

IMO safety signs and markings tell crew, passengers and shore fire-fighters where to go and what to use in an emergency. They mark escape routes and exits, muster and embarkation stations, the stowage of lifeboats, liferafts, lifejackets and immersion suits, fire-fighting equipment and controls, and the operating instructions for life-saving appliances. When a space is full of smoke or the power has failed, clear and consistent symbols are what people follow.

Signs fade, peel, get painted over, or become wrong after equipment is moved. This service covers a signage survey against the current IMO symbols, supply of replacement signs and photoluminescent material, installation on board, and coordination of updates to fire control plans and posters. vslSafety arranges this work through providers at the vessel’s port.

Regulatory requirements and standards

Several SOLAS regulations require signs or markings: II-2/13 for marking of escape routes, II-2/15.2.4 for fire control plans, III/9 for operating instructions for life-saving appliances, III/11 for survival craft muster and embarkation arrangements, and III/20.10 for marking of stowage locations. The symbols themselves are set out in IMO resolution A.1116(30), Escape route signs and equipment location markings, adopted on 5 December 2017. It brings together the life-saving appliance symbols of resolution A.760(18), as amended by MSC.82(70), with symbols for fire control plans used alongside resolution A.952(23), and is based on ISO 24409-2:2014.

The IMO invited Contracting Governments to note that the A.1116(30) signs and markings should take effect on ships constructed on or after 1 January 2019, and on ships undergoing repairs, alterations, modifications and outfitting within the scope of SOLAS chapters II-2 or III on or after that date. Existing ships may retain signs that complied when installed, subject to flag acceptance, but replacements are normally made to the current symbols.

Fire control plans must follow the graphical symbols of resolution A.952(23), and a duplicate set must be kept in a prominently marked weathertight enclosure outside the deckhouse for shore fire-fighters. Passenger ships must have low-location lighting, electric or photoluminescent, along escape routes under SOLAS II-2/13.3.2.5.1 and chapter 11 of the FSS Code; resolution A.752(18) and ISO 15370 give the performance and installation criteria. Changes to fire control plans usually require approval by class or the flag Administration.

Review and replacement intervals

Item	Requirement	Interval	Reference
Escape route and equipment location signs	Legible, correct symbols, correctly located	Routine SMS checks and at annual survey	SOLAS II-2/13, III/20.10, A.1116(30)
LSA operating instructions and posters	Posters or signs at or near survival craft and controls	Checked at annual survey; renew when illegible or equipment changes	SOLAS III/9
Fire control plans	Kept up to date; duplicate in weathertight enclosure	After any alteration	SOLAS II-2/15.2.4, A.952(23)
Photoluminescent low-location lighting (passenger ships)	Luminance tested and maintained	Per flag and ISO 15370	SOLAS II-2/13.3.2.5.1, FSS Code ch. 11
Signs after refit or new equipment	New signs to current symbols	At the time of alteration	A.1116(30)

What the service includes

• Walk-through survey of all decks, escape routes and machinery spaces with a sign-by-sign list
• Comparison of existing signs against A.1116(30) symbols and the ship’s fire control and safety plans
• Supply of photoluminescent and non-luminous signs, adhesive or rigid, in the required sizes
• Installation of signs, stowage markings and muster station signs on board
• Supply of LSA operating instruction posters, SOLAS training posters and muster lists frames
• Supply of weathertight fire plan containers and marking
• Coordination of fire control plan and safety plan redrawing, with class or flag approval where required
• Low-location lighting luminance check and strip replacement on passenger ships

Sign and marking types covered

Typical items include escape route and exit signs, direction arrows, lifejacket, immersion suit and liferaft stowage signs, muster and embarkation station signs, fire extinguisher, hydrant, hose and fire alarm location signs, emergency stop and fire damper markings, pipe identification, and mandatory, prohibition and warning signs. Photoluminescent material is supplied to the relevant ISO performance class. Providers commonly supply from marine sign makers such as Jalite, Blomsma and other ISO 24409 compliant producers.

Common defects and PSC deficiencies

• Escape route signs missing, faded, painted over or pointing the wrong way
• Old symbols mixed with new, or signs that do not match the fire control plan
• Stowage locations of lifejackets, immersion suits or fire equipment not marked
• LSA operating instructions missing or illegible at lifeboats and liferafts
• Fire control plan not updated after alterations, or duplicate plan missing from the weathertight container
• Low-location lighting damaged, obstructed or no longer glowing adequately

Signage and escape routes were among the items examined during the Paris and Tokyo MoU concentrated inspection campaign on fire safety held from 1 September to 30 November 2023.

Certificates and documents you receive

• Sign survey report with locations, photos and replacement list
• Delivery documents and product certificates for photoluminescent material
• Installation record by deck and space
• Updated fire control or safety plan drawings, where included, with approval status

How to prepare the vessel

Provide the current fire control plan, safety plan and any recent alteration drawings. Note equipment that has been moved, added or removed since the plans were drawn. Arrange access to all spaces, including machinery spaces and store rooms. Surfaces should be clean and dry for adhesive signs. If the survey finds missing fire equipment, arrange fire-fighting systems and equipment supply at the same call; signage is also often corrected during an annual safety inspection.

Information needed for a quotation

• Vessel name, IMO number, flag, class and ship type
• Port, berth or anchorage, ETA and ETD
• Scope: full survey, supply only, or supply and installation
• List of signs needed, if known, with sizes and quantities
• Copy of the fire control plan and safety plan
• Whether plan redrawing or low-location lighting work is required

vslSafety then coordinates a suitable provider at the vessel’s port and confirms scope, quantities and timing before attendance.

Frequently asked questions

Which IMO resolution sets shipboard safety sign symbols?

Resolution A.1116(30), Escape route signs and equipment location markings, adopted on 5 December 2017, is the current IMO reference. It combines the life-saving appliance symbols from resolution A.760(18), as amended, with fire equipment symbols and is based on ISO 24409-2:2014. Fire control plan symbols are covered by resolution A.952(23).

Do existing ships have to replace all signs with A.1116(30) symbols?

The resolution applies to ships constructed on or after 1 January 2019 and to ships undergoing repairs, alterations, modifications and outfitting on or after that date. Existing ships are not generally required to replace every compliant sign, but flag administrations may issue their own instructions. Replacements are best made to the current symbols, and mixing old and new styles in the same area should be avoided.

Do safety signs have to be photoluminescent?

Not all of them. Passenger ships need low-location lighting along escape routes, which may be photoluminescent or electric. Many flag administrations and owners specify photoluminescent escape route and equipment location signs on all ship types because they remain visible when lighting fails. Check flag requirements and the ship’s plans before ordering.

Who approves changes to a fire control plan?

Fire control plans are normally approved by the classification society or the flag Administration acting for the ship. After alterations, the plan must be updated and the revised drawing approved. The duplicate set in the weathertight enclosure outside the deckhouse must also be replaced. The plan should be kept current and available in the language or languages required by the flag Administration.