Improving Emergency Exit Light Effectiveness in Your Building
The safety of those in your building is the highest priority. From your employees, tenants, or visitors you want to make sure that everyone who enters your building for the first time or five hundredth time can make a quick exit if an emergency calls for one. This is why ensuring your exit signs are the best and brightest they can be is so important.
How can your occupants are safe? We are sharing insight into several considerations to take to improve your emergency preparedness when it comes to your exit signs and egress systems.
Exit Sign Requirements
Several major organizations regulate exit and egress signs to make sure they meet certain guidelines to keep building occupants safe. NFPA 101, IBC, and OSHA are three of the most well-known organizations to have requirements in place for exit signs so make sure you review their criteria.
Important points to note from these authorities include:
- Electrical charge isn’t required to keep luminance, the markers may be of any material, including photoluminescent material.
- Photoluminescent egress and exit signs have to consume a certain amount of ambient light. NFPA 101 specifies per 7.10.7.2 the illumination of photoluminescent exit signs needs to be a reliable light source, determined by the jurisdiction having authority, and the levels of illumination on the face of the photoluminescent sign need to be in accordance with its listing.
- IBC and NFPA 101 actually require exit signs to be listed under UL 924 and per UL 924 exit-sign illumination must be at a minimum of 90 minutes after power is lost.
- OSHA 1910.37(b)(6) states that each exit sign must be illuminated to a surface value of at least five foot-candles (54 lux) by a reliable light source and be distinctive in color. Self-luminous signs that have a minimum luminance surface value of at least .06 foot-lamberts (0.21 cd/m2) are permitted.
- OSHA 1910.37(b)(7) states that each exit sign must have the word "Exit" in plainly legible letters not less than six inches (15.2 cm) high, with the principal strokes of the letters in the word "Exit" not less than three-fourths of an inch (1.9 cm) wide.
Red or Green Exit Signs
Exit signs are available in not just red, but also green (and even orange). While red exit signs are the most common option, certain states or cities require a specific color- with green gaining in popularity.
You will want to keep updated with your local building code to ensure you have the correct color for your emergency exit signs. Jessup Manufacturing offers both red and green exit signs which you can shop here.
Consider Switching to Photoluminescent Exit Signs
Exit sign technology has evolved over the years. While electrical energy signs used to power the industry, non-electrical options like photoluminescent exit signs are becoming increasingly chosen. Touted for their energy-efficiency (non-electrical means ZERO power consumption!) and ease of installation and maintenance, these exit signs are an excellent choice for those building new construction or renovating older buildings to be more energy-efficient.
Exit Sign Maintenance and Testing
Improving emergency exit sign effectiveness means keeping up with maintenance and testing. Electrical options will require you to test them every month, usually by depressing a test button for 30 seconds per sign per the NFPA. Photoluminescent exit signs do not require that type of extensive maintenance or testing, but all exit signs should be wiped off and checked for cracks from time to time.
At Jessup Manufacturing we have been manufacturing photoluminescent exit signs and egress systems for decades. Please contact us with questions on how to improve your emergency exit light effectiveness and to shop our wide selection of emergency exit signs and systems.
