Braille & Tactile Signs BCA Requirements

D3.6  Signage

In a building required to be accessible—

(a)  braille and tactile signage complying with Specification D3.6 must—

(i)  incorporate the international symbol of access or deafness, as appropriate, in accordance with AS 1428.1 and identify each—

(A)  sanitary facility, except a sanitary facility associated with a bedroom in a Class 1b building or a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 3 or Class 9c building; and

(B)  space with a hearing augmentation system; and

(ii)  identify each door required by E4.5 to be provided with an exit sign and state— 

(A)  “Exit”; and

(B)  “Level”; and either

(aa) the floor level number; or

(bb) a floor level descriptor; or

(cc) a combination of (aa) and (bb); and

(b)  signage including the international symbol for deafness in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be provided within a room containing a hearing augmentation system identifying— 

(i)  the type of hearing augmentation; and

(ii)  the area covered within the room; and

(iii)  if receivers are being used and where the receivers can be obtained; and

(c)  signage in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be provided for accessible unisex sanitary facilities to identify if the facility is suitable for left or right handed use; and

(d)  signage to identify an ambulant accessible sanitary facility in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be located on the door of the facility; and

(e)  where a pedestrian entrance is not accessible, directional signage incorporating the international symbol of access, in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be provided to direct a person to the location of the nearest accessible pedestrian entrance; and

(f)  where a bank of sanitary facilities is not provided with an accessible unisex sanitary facility, directional signage incorporating the international symbol of access in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be placed at the location of the sanitary facilities that are not accessible, to direct a person to the location of the nearest accessible unisex sanitary facility; and

(g)  in a building subject to F2.9, directional signage complying with Specification D3.6 must be provided at the location of each—

(i)  bank of sanitary facilities; and

(ii)  accessible unisex sanitary facility, other than one that incorporates an accessible adult change facility, to direct a person to the location of the nearest accessible adult change facility within that building.

 

D3.8   Tactile indicators


(a)    For a building required to be accessible, tactile ground surface indicators must be provided to warn people who are blind or have a vision impairment that they are approaching—

(i)    a stairway, other than a fire-isolated stairway; and

(ii)    an escalator; and

(iii)    a passenger conveyor or moving walk; and

(iv)    a ramp other than a fire-isolated ramp, step ramp, kerb ramp or swimming pool ramp; and

(v)    in the absence of a suitable barrier—

(A)    an overhead obstruction less than 2 m above floor level, other than a doorway; and

(B)    an accessway meeting a vehicular way adjacent to any pedestrian entrance to a building, excluding a pedestrian entrance serving an area referred to in D3.4, if there is no kerb or kerb ramp at that point, except for areas exempted by D3.4

(b)    Tactile ground surface indicators required by (a) must comply with sections 1 and 2 of AS/NZS 1428.4.1.

(c)    A hostel for the aged, nursing home for the aged, a residential aged care building Class 3 accommodation for the aged, Class 9a health-care building or a Class 9c aged care building need not comply with (a)(i) and (iv) if handrails incorporating a raised dome button in accordance with the requirements for stairway handrails in AS 1428.1 are provided to warn people who are blind or have a vision impairment that they are approaching a stairway or ramp.


E4.5  Exit signs

An exit sign must be clearly visible to persons approaching the exit, and must be installed on, above or adjacent to each—

(a)    door providing direct egress from a storey to—

(i)    an enclosed stairway, passageway or ramp serving as a required exit; and

(ii)    an external stairway, passageway or ramp serving as a required exit; and

(iii)    an external access balcony leading to a required exit; and

(b)    door from an enclosed stairway, passageway or ramp at every level of discharge to a road or open space; and

(c)    horizontal exit; and

(d)    door serving as, or forming part of, a required exit in a storey required to be provided with emergency lighting in accordance with E4.2.