ISO/PRF 22578

International
Standard
ISO 22578
Second edition
Graphical symbols — Safety colours
and safety signs — Natural disaster
safety way guidance system
Symboles graphiques — Couleurs de sécurité et signaux de
sécurité — Système de guidage pour mise en sécurité en cas de
catastrophe naturelle
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
Reference number
ISO 22578:2025(en) © ISO 2025
ISO 22578:2025(en)
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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Published in Switzerland
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
ii
ISO 22578:2025(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Purpose and deployment . 3
5 Planning natural disaster safety way guidance systems . 3
6 Signs used in natural disaster safety way guidance systems . 3
6.1 Signs .3
6.2 Supplementary direction arrow signs . .5
6.3 Supplementary symbols and suitability marking .6
7 Structure of a natural disaster safety way guidance system . 7
7.1 Overview of structure . .7
7.2 Warning signs . .8
7.3 Evacuation plan signs .9
7.4 Evacuation route signs .10
7.5 Place of refuge signs . 13
8 Bilingual signs . 14
9 Identifiability and legibility of signs under daylight and night-time conditions .15
10 Installation of natural disaster safety way guidance systems .16
10.1 General .16
10.2 Sign positioning .16
10.3 Durability .17
11 Repair, maintenance and inspection . 17
Annex A (informative) Examples of installations of natural disaster safety way guidance
systems .18
Annex B (informative) Distance factors and sizing visual elements .26
Annex C (informative) Daylight and night-time illumination conditions .30
Annex D (normative) Measurement of photopic luminance of phosphorescent components
used in a natural disaster safety way guidance system.31
Bibliography .35
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ISO 22578:2025(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 145, Graphical symbols, Subcommittee SC 2,
Safety identification, signs, shapes, symbols and colours.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 22578:2022) and ISO-22578-2:2024, which
have been technically revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— ISO-22578-2 has been incorporated as Annex D.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
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ISO 22578:2025(en)
Introduction
There is a need to standardize a system for giving safety information related to evacuation to safety
evacuation areas in the event of natural disasters that relies as little as possible on the use of words to
achieve understanding.
It is extremely important for people who do not understand the local language to figure out the evacuation
route instantly when they encounter a natural disaster in a foreign country.
This document reflects best practice; the illustrations show installation practice designed to provide the
optimum amount of information to clearly identify the hazards of different types of natural disaster in order
to direct evacuation by the appropriate location of evacuation route signs and evacuation plan signs, and the
selection of places of refuge.
International travel increases the need for standardized methods of safety communication. A standardized
method of signing with the use of appropriate supplementary signs and text throughout the public
environment assists the process of education and instruction on the meaning of the evacuation route signs
and place of refuge signs, and the appropriate actions to take.
The illustrations within this document are based on the assumption that people might be unfamiliar with
the features of the natural disaster or the location of places of refuge.
It is important that the application of safety way guidance systems is standardized to aid comprehension.
While education in the comprehension of the signs and evacuation plan signs is essential, incomprehension
caused by lack of standardization can lead to confusion and possibly hinder effective evacuation.
This document does not purport to include all the necessary aspects or requirements of the design of a
natural disaster safety way guidance system. Users are responsible for its correct application.
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International Standard ISO 22578:2025(en)
Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs —
Natural disaster safety way guidance system
IMPORTANT — The colours represented in the electronic file of this document can be neither viewed
on screen nor printed as true representations. For the purposes of colour matching see ISO 3864-4,
which provides colorimetric and photometric properties together with, as a guideline, references
from colour order systems.
1 Scope
This document specifies the principles governing the design and application of signs and plans used to create
a natural disaster safety way guidance system to help people evacuate to safe areas or places of refuge in
case of natural disasters (e.g. tsunamis, floods, debris flows, steep slope failures, landslides, tornados, large-
scale fires, active volcanoes).
This document provides guidance on the selection and use of safety signs conforming to ISO 7010, public
information symbols conforming to ISO 7001, and text on evacuation route signs, places of refuge signs and
evacuation plan signs for information related to one or more particular natural disasters. Guidance on the
design, location, mounting positions and maintenance of the sign components of a natural disaster safety
way guidance system is also provided.
This document does not apply to the determination of the need for natural disaster safety way guidance.
This document assumes that the risk assessment or requirements of an enforcing authority have established
the need for such natural disaster safety way guidance systems.
This document is not applicable to the particular hazards of high winds, snow avalanches, earthquakes or
hurricanes, which cause the natural disasters covered in this document.
This document is applicable to safety way guidance from natural disasters from the outside of buildings to
safe areas. ISO 16069 is applicable to safety way guidance within a building to the emergency exit(s).
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3864-1, Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs — Part 1: Design principles for safety signs and
safety markings
ISO 3864-3, Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs — Part 3: Design principles for graphical
symbols for use in safety signs
ISO 3864-4, Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs — Part 4: Colorimetric and photometric
properties of safety sign materials
1)
ISO 7010 , Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs — Registered safety signs
1)
ISO 16069 , Graphical symbols — Safety signs — Safety way guidance systems (SWGS)
...