Benefits of Green Exit Signs

Green means GO! In the case of green exit signs, it means GO to the nearest emergency exit. Green exit signs are widely adopted throughout other countries and growing in popularity stateside.

Does it really matter - red or green - the color of your exit signs? Actually, yes. You need them to be easily visible, even in the thickest smoke. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) both state that an exit sign needs to be in a distinctive color and readily visible.

Why are more buildings switching from red to green exit signs?
Several debates have formed about why to choose red or green. Green is increasingly becoming the exit sign color of choice for a couple of reasons:

● Green is universally known as the color to go and for safety.

For those who might not speak the language, they can find it confusing to see red exit signs. Many initially see that color and panic that they shouldn’t go that way. Eyes and brains have been trained to think of red as the color of stop (stoplights, stop signs around the world all use it).

● Neon green is more visible than neon red.

Visibility during a fire is a top concern. So with data coming out stating that neon green is more easily seen from far away than neon red it makes a preferred choice for emergency signage.

Make sure your green exit signs have this
You will need to make sure your green exit signs meet NFPA and local requirements before installing them. A couple of main points to be aware of are:

1. Externally illuminated signs require a level of illumination of not less than five foot-candles (54 lux) at the illuminated surface and a contrast ratio of not less than five-tenths per the Life Safety Code section 7.10.6.3.

2. Internally illuminated signs need to be in accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 924, Standard for Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment.

Are you ready to switch over to green emergency exit signs? Shop our wide variety at Jessup Online.