ISO 23601 evacuation plans: what an inspector actually checks (2026)
An ISO 23601 evacuation plan must show the floor layout from the viewer's orientation, a "You are here" marker, primary and secondary escape routes to the assembly point, ISO 7010 safety signs and equipment (extinguishers, alarms, first aid), a legend, and a title block with the building, floor, date and revision. Inspectors reject plans that are out of date, not oriented to the corridor they hang in, or missing the assembly point.
Why plans fail inspection
In practice most rejected plans fail for four reasons: the plan is not oriented to where it hangs (north-up when the corridor runs east), the "You are here" is missing or wrong, the assembly point is not shown, or the revision date is old enough that the inspector cannot trust the room layout. None of these are design problems; they are maintenance problems, and they come from producing plans by hand.
What must be on the sheet
Building and floor identification; the floor layout with room names or numbers; the viewer's position ("You are here"); primary and alternative escape routes, drawn to the exits and on to the assembly point; fire-fighting equipment, alarm call points, first-aid and refuge points using ISO 7010 symbols; a legend explaining every symbol and colour used; the title block with issue date, revision number and who prepared it; and instructions in the languages of the people in the building, which in the Gulf means English and Arabic.
Orientation is the rule most people miss
ISO 23601 requires the plan to be oriented so that "up" on the sheet is straight ahead for the person reading it. A single north-up drawing copied to every corridor is wrong on three sides of the building. This is why a building needs many plans, not one, and why producing them by hand takes weeks.
A faster way to comply
Draw the floor once with rooms, exits, routes and symbols; then generate one plan per viewing position, each rotated to the corridor with signs and routes fixed to the building. That is exactly what WolfMap Studio does, with a built-in ISO 23601 check that flags a missing legend, assembly point or title block before you print.
Related: How to make a fire evacuation map for a school or office in one day | Guard patrols that cannot be proven did not happen | Fair overtime allocation for security and shift staff | Security guard management software in Kuwait and the GCC