There is often confusion over which colors are allowed when choosing an Exit sign for your building. Exit sign requirements vary by state and municipality, which is why it's important to check with your Fire Marshall to see whether Green Exit Signs
or Red Exit Signs are required in your building. The information below is for general guidance, only. For many, however, it is also important to get a “sense” of any color preference – so that your building is as consistent as possible with others in your area. Even though the European Union generally uses Green
Exit Signs (Red is used to specify prohibited actions), our UL 924 standards allow either Green Exit signs or Red Exit signs. Yet, localized codes often specify one or the
other.
State Summary
Salt Lake City requires green Exit signs. In the effort to reduce the incidents of loss of life and property from fires, the five-member Fire Prevention Bureau is responsible for "performing plan reviews for new construction and fire code enforcement in over 9,000 public and private buildings," according to the Utah state website. From the "New Business Fire Safety Checklist": Emergency lighting shall be installed properly and operable. Egress doors shall swing in the direction of travel for occupant loads of 50 or more. Exit doors must remain unlocked during hours of operation. Exit signs shall be installed and illuminated at all times. Travel distance to an exit shall be less than 200 ft. in a non-sprinkled building and less that 250 ft in a fully-sprinkled building.
