It’s that time of year again, when it feels like a nature made sauna you can’t escape unless you’re sitting by the pool with an ice cold drink in your hand. And as nice as that sounds, we don’t get paid for it. So with our air conditioners working overtime there is a high risk for an electrical fire to start. That’s why it is critical to make sure your building’s passive fire protection systems are regularly maintained. And part of a building’s overall fire safety is making sure that your building has installed photoluminescent egress path marking system and exit signs.
Photoluminescent egress path marking systems and exit signs are designed to help illuminate handrails, step landings and any other obstacles that would be hard to see in blackout or smoky conditions. One of the biggest benefits to using photoluminescent objects is that they use sunlight, or recycle existing electrical light, to create a glow for continual visual light support. And what better time than summer to use the power of the sun’s sunlight to help power your building’s safety system?
Photoluminescence (PL) is light emission from any form of matter after the absorption of photons. So, when light is shined on a photoluminescent object, the photons from the light excite the phosphorous molecules. These molecules then slowly release energy that has been stored by re-emitting photons, and creating the recognizable green glow.
This is important in the event of a fire, where hallways and stairwells can quickly fill with smoke and become very dark and hard to navigate through. Since smoke rises, the photoluminescent marking along the floor will help guide people to a safe evacuation route. Because of this, more buildings today are being required by building codes to have photoluminescent egress path marking systems and exit signs installed. Both the 2009 International Building Code and International Fire Code state that, “buildings having floors occupied more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle must be provided with luminous egress path markings”.
