National Construction Code Requirements
D4D7 Signage [2019: D3.6]
(1) In a building required to be accessible—
(a) braille and tactile signage complying with Specification 15 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 E4D5 to be provided with an exit sign and state—
(A) “Exit”; and
(B) “Level”; and
(C) the floor level number or floor level descriptor, or a combination of the two.
(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.
(2) In a building that is subject to F4D12 and is required to be accessible, directional signage complying with Specification 15 to direct a person to the location of the nearest accessible adult change facility within that building must be provided at the location of each—
(a) bank of sanitary facilities; and
(b) accessible unisex sanitary facility, other than one that incorporates and accessible adult change facility.
Specification 15 - Braille and tactile signs
S15C2 Location of braille and tactile signs(a) Braille and tactile components of a sign must be located not less than 1200 mm and not higher than 1600 mm above the floor or ground surface.
(b) Signs with single lines of characters must have the line of tactile characters not less than 1250 mm and not higher than 1350 mm above the floor or ground surface.
(c) Signs identifying rooms containing features or facilities listed in D4D7 must be located—
(i) on the wall on the latch side of the door with the leading edge of the sign located between 50 mm and 300 mm from the architrave; and
(ii) where (i) is not possible, the sign may be placed on the door itself.
(d) Signs identifying a door required by E4D5 to be provided with an exit sign must be located—
(i) on the side that faces a person seeking egress; and
(ii)on the wall on the latch side of the door with the leading edge of the sign located between 50 mm and 300 mm from the architrave; and
(iii) where (ii) is not possible, the sign may be placed on the door itself.
S15C3 Braille and tactile sign specification
(1) Tactile characters must be raised or embossed to a height of not less than 1 mm and not more than 1.5 mm.
(2) Title case must be used for all tactile characters, and—
(a) upper case tactile characters must have a height of not less than 15 mm and not more than 55 mm, except that the upper case tactile characters on a sign identifying a door required by E4D5 to be provided with an exit sign must have a height of not less than 20 mm and not more than 55 mm; and
(b) lower case tactile characters must have a minimum height of 50% of the related upper case characters.
(3)Tactile characters, symbols, and the like, must have rounded edges.
(4)The entire sign, including any frame, must have all edges rounded.
(5)The background, negative space or fill of signs must be of matt or low sheen finish.
(6)The characters, symbols, logos and other features on signs must be matt or low sheen finish.
(7)The minimum letter spacing of tactile characters on signs must be 2 mm.
(8)The minimum word spacing of tactile characters on signs must be 10 mm.
(9)The thickness of letter strokes must be not less than 2 mm and not more than 7 mm.
(10)Tactile text must be left justified, except that single words may be centre justified.
(11)Tactile text must be Arial typeface.
S15C4 Luminance contrast
The following applies to luminance contrast:
(a) The background, negative space, fill of a sign or border with a minimum width of 5 mm must have a luminance contrast with the surface on which it is mounted of not less than 30%.
(b) Tactile characters, icons and symbols must have a minimum luminance contrast of 30% to the surface on which the characters are mounted.
(c) Luminance contrasts must be met under the lighting conditions in which the sign is to be located.
By the statement of S15C4(c), this means luminance contrast should be measured on site, however for ease of predetermining whether or not the colour of the sign should provide enough contrast for the wall it is going onto, we have the approximate LRV values for our signs.
Blue Polypropylene 12.14%
Green Polypropylene 12.96%
Charcoal Grey Polypropylene 9.45%
Black Polypropylene 3.53%
Silver Polypropylene 42.54%
Anodised Aluminium 92.70%
Stainless Steel 68.77%
S15C5 Lighting
Braille and tactile signs must be illuminated to ensure luminance contrast requirements are met at all times during which the sign is required to be read.
S15C6 Braille
The following applies to braille:
(a) Braille must be grade 1 braille (uncontracted) in accordance with the criteria set out by the Australian Braille Authority.
(b) Braille must be raised and domed.
(c) Braille must be located 8 mm below the bottom line of text (not including descenders).
(d) Braille must be left justified.
(e) Where an arrow is used in the tactile sign, a solid arrow must be provided for braille readers.
(f) On signs with multiple lines of text and characters, a semicircular braille locator at the left margin must be horizontally aligned with the first line of braille text.
D1O1 Objective
[2019: DO1]
The Objective of this Section is to—
provide, as far as is reasonable, people with safe, equitable and dignified access to—
(a) a building; and
(i) the services and facilities within a building; and
(ii) safeguard occupants from illness or injury while evacuating in an emergency.
D1F1 Access
A building is to provide, as far as is reasonable—
safe; and
(a) equitable and dignified,
(b) access for people to the services and facilities within.
D1F2 Egress
A building is to be provided with means of evacuation which allow occupants time to evacuate safely without being overcome by the effects of an emergency.
D1P1 Access for people with a disability
Access must be provided, to the degree necessary, to enable—
people to—
(a) approach the building from the road boundary and from any accessible carparking spaces associated with the building; and
(i) approach the building from any accessible associated building; and
(ii) access work and public spaces, accommodation and facilities for personal hygiene; and
(iii) identification of accessways at appropriate locations which are easy to find.
D1P2 Safe movement to and within a building
So that people can move safely to and within a building, it must have—
(a) walking surfaces with safe gradients; and
(b) any doors installed to avoid the risk of occupants—
(i) having their egress impeded; or
(ii) being trapped in the building; and
(c) any stairways and ramps with—
(i) slip-resistant walking surfaces on—
(A) ramps; and
(B) stairway treads or near the edge of the nosing; and
(ii) suitable handrails where necessary to assist and provide stability to people using the stairway or ramp; and
(iii) suitable landings to avoid undue fatigue; and
(iv) landings where a door opens from or onto the stairway or ramp so that the door does not create an obstruction; and
(v) in the case of a stairway, suitable safe passage in relation to the nature, volume and frequency of likely usage.
D1P4 Exits
Exits must be provided from a building to allow occupants to evacuate safely, with their number, location and dimensions being appropriate to—
(a) the travel distance; and
(b) the number, mobility and other characteristics of occupants; and
(c) the function or use of the building; and
(d) the height of the building; and
(e) whether the exit is from above or below ground level.
D1P6 Paths of travel to exits
So that occupants can safely evacuate the building, paths of travel to exits must have dimensions appropriate to—
(a) the number, mobility and other characteristics of occupants; and
(b) the function or use of the building.
D1P9 Communication systems for people with hearing impairment
An inbuilt communication system for entry, information, entertainment, or for the provision of a service, must be suitable for occupants who are deaf or hearing impaired.
D2D3 Number of exits required
(1)All buildings — Every building must have at least one exit from each storey.SA D2D3(2)
(2)Class 2 to 8 buildings —
(a) In addition to any horizontal exit, not less than 2 exits must be provided from the following:
(i) Each storey if the building has an effective height of more than 25 m.
(ii) A Class 2 or 3 building subject to C2D6.(b) The requirements of (a)(i) do not apply to a part of a storey that—
(i) is provided with direct egress to a road or open space; and
(ii) satisfies D2D5 by the provision of 1 exit.(3) Basements — In addition to any horizontal exit, not less than 2 exits must be provided from any storey if egress from that storey involves a vertical rise within the building of more than 1.5 m, unless—
(a) the floor area of the storey is not more than 50 m²; and
(b) the distance of travel from any point on the floor to a single exit is not more than 20 m. (4) Class 9 buildings —(a) In addition to any horizontal exit, not less than 2 exits must be provided from the following:
(i) Each storey if the building has a rise in storeys of more than 6 or an effective height of more than 25 m.
(ii) Any storey which includes a patient care area in a Class 9a health-care building.
(iii) Any storey that contains sleeping areas in a Class 9c building.
(iv) Any storey used as a Class 9b early childhood centre, or any Class 9b early childhood centre which forms part of a storey.
(v) Each storey in a primary or secondary school with a rise in storeys of 2 or more.
(vi) Any storey or mezzanine that accommodates more than 50 persons, calculated under D2D18.
(b) The requirements of (a) do not apply to a part of a storey that—
(i) is a plant room, machinery room, storeroom, lift-machine room or the like; and
(ii) is provided with direct egress to a road, open space or a fire-isolated exit complying with D2D12(2); and
(iii) satisfies D2D5 by the provision of 1 exit.(5) Exits from Class 9c buildings and patient care areas in Class 9a health-care buildings — In a Class 9a health-care building and a Class 9c building, at least one exit must be provided from every part of a storey which has been divided into fire compartments in accordance with C3D3 or C3D6.
(6) Exits in open spectator stands — In an open spectator stand containing more than one tier of seating, every tier must have not less than 2 stairways or ramps, each forming part of the path of travel to not less than 2 exits.
(7) Access to exits — Without passing through another sole-occupancy unit every occupant of a storey or part of a storey must have access to—(a) an exit; or
(b) at least 2 exits if 2 or more exits are required.
Part D4 - Access for people with a disability
D4D3 Access to buildings [2019: D3.2](1)An accessway must be provided to a building required to be accessible
(a) from the main points of a pedestrian entry at the allotment boundary; and
(b) from another accessible building connected by a pedestrian link; and
(c) from any required accessible carparking space on the allotment.
(2)In a building required to be accessible, an accessway must be provided through the principal pedestrian entrance, and—
(a) through not less than 50% of all pedestrian entrances including the principal pedestrian entrance; and
(b) in a building with a total floor area more than 500 m2, a pedestrian entrance which is not accessible must not be located more than 50 m from an accessible pedestrian entrance, except for pedestrian entrances serving only areas exempted by D4D5.
(3) Where a pedestrian entrance required to be accessible has multiple doorways—
(a) if the pedestrian entrance consists of not more than 3 doorways — not less than 1 of those doorways must be accessible; and
(b) if a pedestrian entrance consists of more than 3 doorways — not less than 50% of those doorways must be accessible.
(4)For the purposes of (3)—
(a) an accessible pedestrian entrance with multiple doorways is considered to be one pedestrian entrance where—
(i) all doorways serve the same part or parts of the building; and
(ii) the distance between each doorway is not more than the width of the widest doorway at that pedestrian entrance (see Figure D4D3); and
(b) a doorway is considered to be the clear, unobstructed opening created by the opening of one or more door leaves (see Figure D4D3).
(5) Where a doorway on an accessway has multiple leaves (except an automatic opening door), one of those leaves must have a clear opening width of not less than 850 mm in accordance with AS 1428.1.