| In emergency preparedness, most new safety | | | | components of egress systems in applicable |
| measures are the result of lessons learned the | | | | buildings: stairs, handrails and handrail extensions, |
| hard way and not by foresight. For example, in | | | | landings, floor areas, obstacles and door areas. In |
| the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World | | | | each case, building owners are required to install |
| Trade Center and the Pentagon, commercial | | | | illuminated egress markings that are not powered |
| building owners across America saw the need for | | | | by electricity, which leaves building owners to |
| luminous egress markings and safety signs in the | | | | choose between two basic types of luminous |
| vertical exit enclosures and exit passageways of | | | | material: luminous paint or photoluminescent |
| their buildings. Without them, evacuees could face | | | | egress markings. In most cases building owners |
| navigating long, smoke filled stairwells in the dark, | | | | chose to apply photoluminescent egress markings |
| especially if emergency back up lighting | | | | for four basic reasons: they have a longer life |
| malfunctions the way it did after the 1993 | | | | span than luminescent paint, are easier to apply |
| bombing of the World Trade Center, where the | | | | according to the egress markings width |
| generators that powered emergency lighting were | | | | requirements of the IBC and IFC, are faster and |
| destroyed. | | | | less messy to apply and don't wear away like |
| Mandating the installation of luminous egress | | | | paint. Photoluminescent markings typically come in |
| systems and safety signs in commercial buildings | | | | rolled tape form and are a nominal expense. |
| worldwide are the International Building Council | | | | Even if your building is located in a state that |
| (IBC) and the International Fire Council (IFC), which | | | | hasn't adopted a version of the IFC, following the |
| were established and are updated every three | | | | IFC's egress safety codes is still essential to the |
| years by the International Code Council (ICC). The | | | | safety of your building occupants in the event of |
| IBC, a version of which has now been adopted by | | | | an evacuation that occurs during low visibility. |
| al 50 states, applies to new construction, and the | | | | Besides the obvious threat presented by fire |
| IFC, a version of which has currently been | | | | evacuations, even less time sensitive evacuations |
| adopted by 42 states applies to both new | | | | can still prove tragic when building occupants' |
| construction and existing buildings. Any commercial | | | | inability to gauge their steps and keep their |
| or residential R1 building that contains occupancy | | | | balance leads to trampling. With the tragic |
| at above 75 feet from the lowest level of fire | | | | evacuation situations of the 1993 World Trade |
| vehicle access must comply with IBC and IRC | | | | Center bombing and the World Trade Center |
| egress system regulations, the only exception | | | | attack of 2001 in mind, outfitting your building with |
| being existing buildings that are located in states | | | | luminescent egress systems is a way to conduct |
| that haven't adopted a version of the IFC. | | | | emergency preparedness by foresight instead of |
| The IBC and IFC regulate the following | | | | by learning the hard way. |