5 Photoluminescent Egress Path Markings Every Building Needs

When emergency strikes, don’t let occupants get lost in the chaos! Emergency egress can create a sense of panic and stress, and even in non-emergency conditions occupants may find it difficult to navigate towards the exit discharge in an unfamiliar building.

With these 5 key photoluminescent egress path markings, occupants can easily navigate the exit pathways in your building, in any lighting condition, whether it’s an emergency or not!

1. Photoluminescent Exit Signs

Exit signs are used to mark the most direct path of egress, as well as clearly marking the final egress discharge, and are a key aspect of building safety. Under normal conditions, exit signs help occupants to easily find their way to the building’s exit, and in emergency conditions exit signs help enhance egress speeds, ensuring all occupants can easily navigate to the final exit discharge.

Photoluminescent exit signs, after gaining a charge from exposure to a natural or artificial light source, can provide hours of a bright glow, ensuring clear visibility in all lighting conditions.

2. Photoluminescent Step-Edge Markings

Many stair related trips and falls can be related to lack of step-edge visibility. Design research has shown foot clearance and precision is improved when a highlighter is placed along the length of the step-edge, reducing the risk of injury. Step-edge visibility becomes even more important in darkened conditions and during emergency egress.

Placing a photoluminescent strip along the step-edge increase step-edge visibility by providing contrast against the stair substrate, and ensures the step-edge is clearly visible after the power fails. Step-edge visibility helps to enhance egress speeds and safety in all conditions.

3. Obstruction Markings

Although the exit pathways should always remain clear and free of obstacles, this is not always possible. In the case that any obstacles protrude into the exit pathway, such as standpipes, a

photoluminescent obstruction marking must be applied to ensure the obstacle does not get lost in the dark. This specialty photoluminescent path marking reduces the risk of injury, ensuring occupants can clearly see, and avoid, any obstructions along the exit pathway.

4. Perimeter Markings

Photoluminescent strips applied either to the wall or floor help keep occupants on the right path during emergency egress. These photoluminescent egress path markings are used to mark the perimeter of the exit pathway, including stair landings, ensuring occupants can easily follow the exit pathway in darkened conditions.

5. Floor Identification Signs

Floor identification signs communicate critical egress information that is not only needed by occupants but by emergency first responders as well. These important photoluminescent path markings include the floor level, terminus of top and bottom levels, the level and direction of exit discharge and whether the roof can be accessed.

The information provided by photoluminescent floor identification signs is critical to a safe and efficient emergency egress, and the photoluminescent material ensures this information is clearly visible under all lighting conditions.

When emergency strikes in your building, be assured occupants can safely make their way to the exit discharge, by ensuring these five photoluminescent egress path markings are installed, and fully charged, in your building. For over 20 years, ecoglo^® has been working with property managers to create brightly lit, and easy to follow emergency egress pathways. By providing a full range of luminous egress path markings, ecoglo^® ensures you can create a completely customized, code-compliant, luminous egress pathway in any building.