It must not be assumed that everyone will know all safe routes through a building. Emergency escape signs are designed to guide you from wherever you are in a building, via a place of relative safety (the escape route) to the place of ultimate safety (the assembly area).

ISO 16069:2017 describes the principles governing the design and marking for Safety Way Guidance Systems. In addition to the rewuirement for installing exit signs at 1.7m - 2.2m from the ground, this standard recommends that additional intermediate and low location markings may also be required.

The old EC Directive (92/58/EEC) designs should no longer be used due to their low comprehension credentials.