How To Choose the Right Luminous Egress Path Markings for Your Building
Required by international fire, building and life safety codes as well as many local building codes, the installation of luminous egress path markings is required in all new and existing high-rise buildings.
Luminous egress path markings play a vital role in emergency egress, as well as providing important wayfinding instructions on a daily basis. But how can you be sure you are choosing the right luminous egress path markings for your building?
Luminous Egress Path Marking Code Compliance
First and foremost, any luminous egress path marking product you are considering needs to meet code compliance standards. Photoluminescent emergency egress lighting products are required to be UL 1994 listed, which requires 90 minutes of photoluminescent light after being exposed to light for no more than 60 minutes and recognized from a minimum of 25 feet.
Code compliant luminous egress path markings must also be tested to ASTM E2072, which is the standard test for luminance of photoluminescent path markings, ensuring the brightness.
Operation of Luminous Egress Path Markings
Luminous egress path markings are designed to work in conjunction with your building’s emergency systems, without relying on batteries or any back up power. Simply gaining a charge from exposure to surrounding light sources, luminous egress path markings come on once the power fails, providing a long-lasting highly visible glow for hours, without the need to flip a switch.
By operating completely independently of your building’s power systems, luminous egress path markings come on without a thought, giving you peace of mind knowing your building is always equipped for emergency egress.
Maintaining Luminous Egress Path Markings
Once you have found a code compliant, non-powered luminous egress path marking product, the next thing to consider is the maintenance required. Because they do not rely on batteries or any power, luminous egress path markings do not require frequent maintenance or inspection.
Some photoluminescent path marking products, however, can suffer from the settling of photoluminescent particles, which results in an inconsistent light source and ultimately requires replacement.
Well-built luminous egress path markings will not suffer from settling and require minimum maintenance, such as an occasional wiping down.
Installation and Placement of Luminous Egress Pathmarkings
Low level installation of photoluminescent egress path markings ensures greater visibility. Photoluminescent egress path markings installed at a low level do not cast shadows and cut through smoke, ensuring visibility no matter the condition.
Photoluminescent egress path markings should be placed all throughout the exit pathway, ensuring the path to the exit discharge is easily followed. Code compliance requires luminous egress pathmarkings in exit stairwells to be installed on handrails, step-edges, final exit doors, around the perimeter as well as on any obstacles within the path.
Beyond code compliance, there are many factors to consider when planning the luminous egress pathway in your building. Finding the right photoluminescent egress path marking products is crucial to creating a safe and easy to follow exit path in any high-rise building.
For more than 20 years, ecoglo® has been providing industry-leading luminous egress path markings and photoluminescent signs around the world. Our patented manufacturing process and innovative photoluminescent technology results in an emergency egress lighting product that is sure to last! Ecoglo®’s wide range of photoluminescent products includes everything you need to create a code compliant luminous egress pathway.