Does yours exist? Is it up to date? Does it meet the mandatory colour coding, scale, legend, "You Are Here" marker, and placement requirements? If you're not sure — it probably doesn't.
Altra Medical Productions — official holders of SANS 23601:2010 — designs, prints & installs fully compliant escape plans across South Africa
This is not optional. Under the OHS Act 85 of 1993 (General Safety Regulations, Section 3), every employer must have documented emergency evacuation procedures. SANS 23601:2010 defines the exact standard your escape plans must meet. Municipal fire bylaws and SANS 10400-T:2011 further enforce displayed, compliant plans. Non-compliance means fines, site closures, insurance rejections and personal legal liability.
SANS 23601:2010 is highly specific. A generic floor plan printed from AutoCAD and laminated to a wall does not comply. Here is what the standard actually mandates.
Illustrative example based on SANS 23601 Annex A requirements
The exact location of the user must be clearly indicated — in safety blue per ISO 3864-1. Must be accurate for each specific display location.
Routes highlighted in light green. Directional arrows in ISO safety green. Background must be white or phosphorescent white.
Minimum 297×420mm in corridors. Scale 1:100 to 1:250 for most facilities. A4 permitted in individual rooms only.
Must include "Escape Plan" header in safety green, a complete legend, plan designer name, facility name, floor designation, date and revision number.
The plan must be oriented so that what is to the viewer's left in the building is on the left side of the plan at each display location — not just north-up.
Any change to the facility, layout or fire safety procedures requires a review and revision. Outdated plans are non-compliant.
The OHS Act applies to every employer in South Africa, regardless of size or industry. Any workplace with more than 10 employees must have documented emergency evacuation procedures displayed as SANS 23601 compliant escape plans.
Multiple floors, complex layouts, hazardous areas. Every floor at every primary entry point requires a compliant plan. High inspection risk.
Required at corridors, stairwells, lifts, reception areas and cafeterias. Occupancy certificates often refused without compliant plans.
Hotels require escape plans in every guest room. Healthcare facilities face the highest liability exposure. Plans must do the navigating for occupants.
Site layout changes constantly. Escape plans must be updated whenever the facility changes — which on a construction site means regularly.
Evacuation of large numbers of people demands clear, well-placed escape plans at every junction and training point.
High-footfall environments. Fire inspectors pay close attention to warehouses. Plans must cover all floors and multiple exit routes.
Fire inspectors and DOL officials don't call ahead. When they find non-compliant or missing escape plans, the consequences are immediate and serious.
A DOL or fire inspector can issue a prohibition notice and halt all operations on the spot. Every day of closure is lost revenue — and the plan still has to be fixed before you can reopen.
OHS Act violations carry fines of up to R100,000 and potential imprisonment. Directors can be held personally liable if an employee is injured where no compliant plan existed.
If a fire occurs and your escape plans were not SANS 23601 compliant, your insurer has legal grounds to reject the claim. No compliant plan = no payout.
Many municipalities will not issue or renew a Certificate of Occupancy without visible, compliant evacuation plans throughout the building.
An incorrectly oriented plan or a plan without a "You Are Here" marker sends people in the wrong direction in a real emergency. The consequences are irreversible.
An outdated plan — even if once compliant — fails audit. SANS 23601 Section 10 requires plans to be reviewed whenever the facility or its fire procedures change.
We follow the exact process mandated by SANS 23601 Section 4 — starting with a site visit to verify all elements before a single line is drawn.
We visit your premises to verify the current layout, identify all escape routes, locate all firefighting equipment, alarms, first aid kits, assembly points, and disability provisions. The standard requires site verification — we do not work from plans alone.
We produce colour-coded, correctly scaled plans using safety green escape routes, ISO 7010 safety signs, a "You Are Here" marker in safety blue, a standardised header, legend, overview plan, assembly point locations, and all mandatory metadata — fully per SANS 23601.
Plans are printed on materials that are durable, light-resistant and humidity-resistant for the expected service life at your site. Phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) materials available where emergency lighting is not provided.
We permanently fix plans at all mandatory locations: every floor at primary entry points, near lifts and stairs, at junctions, meeting points, cafeterias, and in individual rooms where required — all oriented to the viewer's actual position.
You receive a complete compliance record for your safety file. We also offer a revision service — whenever your facility changes, we update the plans to keep them current and compliant as required by Section 10.
Section 9 of SANS 23601 is explicit: escape plans must be placed at strategic points throughout the building — not just at the front door. We handle the full placement strategy.
Required at every primary entry point on every floor — each plan oriented to that floor's viewer position.
Section 9(b) — primary entry pointsRequired near every lift and stairwell — primary navigation decision points in any evacuation.
Section 9(b) — lifts and stairsCafeterias, office centres and meeting places are mandatory placement locations.
Section 9(b) — training pointsHotels require a plan in every individual guest room — sized to A4 minimum.
Section 9(b) — individual roomsAt every principal junction and corridor intersection where an occupant must make a directional decision.
Section 9(b) — junctions and intersectionsPlans must be conspicuous, accessible, and permanently fixed — not rolled up or pinned to a noticeboard.
Section 9 — conspicuous and permanently fixedTell us about your premises. We'll come back with a detailed quote for design, print and installation — and flag any compliance gaps straight away.
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DOL and fire inspectors don't book appointments. If your escape plans are missing, outdated or non-compliant right now, your business is at risk right now. Fix it today.
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