Exit signs and emergency lights facilitate safe evacuation from even the most complicated buildings. When a fire or natural disaster leaves buildings without power, these signs remain intact and illuminated, guiding those inside to safety.
What does emergency exit mean?
An emergency exit is an exit that is used to provide a safe means of escape from a structure or area in the event of an emergency , such as a fire. The exit must be in an easily accessible, unobstructed, and permanent location.
Are emergency exit signs required?
Essentially, all Class 6 buildings over 100m2 built after 1st July 1994 require exit and emergency lighting and all Class 6 buildings require at least one exit sign. ... All required exit signs, as well as emergency lights, must comply with Australian Standard AS2293.
How long do emergency exit signs last?
How long do photoluminescence exit signs glow? Once it has absorbed enough light to be fully “charged”, PL signs will last 15-95 hours in complete darkness before they are fully discharged.
Where do emergency exit signs go?
Exit Signs for doors and corridors should be mounted with the bottom of the exit no more than 80 inches (6’8′′) above the top edge of the egress opening . Floor proximity exit signs require the bottom of the sign be mounted no less than 6′′ from the floor and no more than 18′′ above the floor.
How often should exit lights be tested?
You are required by law to test your exit and emergency lighting regularly. According to NFPA 101 Life Safety Codes, Emergency Lighting Units should be tested monthly for 30 seconds, and annually for 90 minutes .
What are the legal requirements for emergency lighting?
Article 14 of the regulations states that: “ Emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs ; and emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting.”
What are the requirements for an emergency exit?
Normally, a workplace must have at least two exit routes to permit prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an emergency. More than two exits are required, however, if the number of employees, size of the building, or arrangement of the workplace will not allow employees to evacuate safely.
How does an emergency exit work?
An emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation , while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc.
Is it illegal to block emergency exits?
All exit routes must remain unobstructed . Fire exit doors must never be blocked, even temporarily. Exit routes should never be blocked by materials, equipment, or locked doors, or have dead-end corridors. All safeguards used to protect employees during an emergency must be maintained and in good working order.
Are exit signs radioactive?
Many exit signs contain tritium . Tritium is a naturally-occurring radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is often used to light up a sign without batteries or electricity. Tritium exit signs will glow without electricity or batteries for more than 10 years.
How do photoluminescent exit signs work?
Photoluminescent signs (aka “glow-in-the-dark signs”) are a useful technology for exit and egress signage. They glow without a dedicated power source. Instead, they absorb the energy of light from normally well-lit surroundings—often a particular wavelength of light—and release it over time as a glow .
How do exit signs work?
The most common type of exit sign is made of economical thermoplastic and is illuminated with LEDs . ... The signs have a strip of LEDs located either at the top or the bottom of the word EXIT and generally use a battery which is located on board to stay illuminated in the event of a power outage.
What are fire exit signs for?
Fire exit signs play a vital role in providing clear information and guidance to staff and visitors in the event of an emergency . This includes photo-luminescent signs which glow in the dark when lighting fails, helping to direct occupants out of the premises.
How do transparent exit signs work?
Photoluminescent exit signs take in photons from their surroundings, store the energy, and then release it in the form of a green glow as a building becomes dark .
