| The safety of a large commercial or residential | | | | cases, building owners apply photoluminescent |
| building's egress system is often taken for | | | | markings to egress system components by |
| granted until an evacuation reveals its | | | | purchasing photoluminescent tape, and often |
| weaknesses. Although most large commercial and | | | | purchase photoluminescent exit signs from the |
| residential R1 buildings contain emergency back up | | | | same seller after learning about the cost |
| lighting in their exit stairwells and exit | | | | effectiveness of luminescent exit signs and their |
| passageways, emergency backup lighting alone is | | | | recommendation by the National Fire Protection |
| rarely enough to ensure the safety of a building's | | | | Association (NFPA). Most U.S. buildings still contain |
| occupants during fire evacuations, when smoke | | | | incandescent exit signs, and research shows that |
| can fill stairwells and compromise the ability of | | | | replacing 100 incandescent exit signs with |
| traditional light sources to adequately illuminate | | | | photoluminescent exit signs can save $3,500 in |
| otherwise dark exit ways. In order to prevent | | | | annual energy costs. |
| this situation, owners of large commercial and | | | | Although most owners of large commercial and |
| residential buildings regularly outfit their emergency | | | | residential buildings in the U.S. must comply with |
| egress systems with photoluminescent egress | | | | 2009 IBC and IFC safety regulations, the eight |
| markings. | | | | states that have yet to adopt a version of the |
| As mandated by the International Building Code | | | | IFC leave a sizeable number of buildings that may |
| (IBC) and the International Fire Code (IFC), | | | | not be in compliance with IFC regulations. If you |
| Commercial and residential R1 buildings that contain | | | | own a building in a state that doesn't require |
| occupancy at above 75 feet from the lowest | | | | compliance with the IFC, you may decide not to |
| level of fire department vehicle access must | | | | outfit your building's egress system with |
| outfit the following components of their | | | | photoluminescent markings because your building |
| emergency egress system with photoluminescent | | | | is statistically unlikely to experience a fire |
| egress markings: handrails and handrail extensions, | | | | evacuation. But if and when it does, depending on |
| certain parts of door areas, obstacles, landings, | | | | emergency backup lighting to supply your building's |
| stairs and certain parts of floor areas. The IBC | | | | passageways with enough illumination to ensure |
| regulates egress safety in new construction and | | | | that the evacuation occurs in a timely manner is a |
| has been adopted by all 50 states, while the IFC | | | | serious gamble. In addition to performing poorly |
| regulates egress safety in both new and existing | | | | under smoky conditions, emergency backup |
| construction and has been adopted by 42 states. | | | | lighting is also only as reliable as its power source; |
| While the greatest benefit of implementing 2009 | | | | a fact famously proven following the 1993 |
| IBC and IFC egress regulations for building | | | | terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center, |
| occupants is increased evacuation safety, the | | | | when bombs destroyed emergency backup |
| greatest benefit for building owners is that their | | | | generators and left building occupants to navigate |
| implementation is extremely affordable. In most | | | | exit stairwells in darkness. |