Why Are Low Location Exit Signs Required in Newly Constructed Hotels?
The latest fire and building codes require that every newly constructed hotel in the United States must install low location exit signs. The signs must be placed at exit doorways in addition to the standard high-level signs that you are used to seeing in hotels and public buildings.
Low-level exit signs help improve safety in hotels and other types of buildings in a number of ways. First and foremost, they help make exits more visible. In an emergency situation, people cannot be relied upon to act rationally. It might make sense to check above doorways during a fire or other emergency to try and find an exit sign, but the human brain doesn’t always work that way. By marking doorways with both high and low level exit signs, you double the chances that someone will notice the exit and get through it safely.
Exit signs above doors can also be difficult to spot for children. Whether their line of sight is blocked by passing adults or higher exit signs simply don't fall within their line of vision, low-profile exit signs are easier for children to see under a number of circumstances.
When fires break out in hotels, the smoke can obscure vision very quickly. If the fire is big enough, smoke can quickly become so thick that you can only see a few feet ahead of you. This means that high-level exit signs can become obscured, because the smoke rises. However, low profile exit signs will remain visible much longer than high exit signs, because they fall below the smoke.
When considering construction safety signage, you have a lot of options. When installing low level exit signs, you can use electric, tritium, or photoluminescent signs. While there are various options to choose from, we highly recommend using photoluminescent exit signs for all of your high and low level exit markings. Photoluminescent signs are non-toxic, 100% recyclable, and they don't require any energy to operate or maintain.
Photoluminescent signs work by absorbing energy from the ambient light that surrounds them. When the lights go out, the signs release that collected energy by glowing in excess of 90 minutes. Photoluminescent exit signs also have the benefit of being very easy to install. They don't require any wiring or electricity, so they can be put in place in a matter of minutes without any added building or material costs.
Learn more about the benefits of construction safety signage and low level photoluminescent exit signs by contacting Jessup Manufacturing, the makers of GloBrite®, today.
2016-03-01 16:13:00
