Lighting Services Blog

Emergency lighting fixtures are ever-present in public and business buildings throughout the country, so omnipresent that we often forget they are there at all -- until the moment we need them.

According to safety regulations, your commercial building is required to have emergency exit lights indicating both emergency exit doors and the path to emergency exits if the route is not apparent. But installing your exit lights correctly is about more than just placement. Emergency exit lights need to function properly and safely even in situations where all other lights in the building fail. 

This is why most emergency exit lights are connected to a backup battery source that will last at least a few hours after power fails or is cut off in the building. Beyond power source, you should also think carefully about the materials used to build your emergency exit lights and the bulbs that illuminate the signs so that people in dangerous situations can clearly navigate their way to safety.

Building safety regulations require that every commercial facility be fitted with a minimum number of lit emergency exit signs. Anywhere the closest fire escape route is not immediately evident must have a visibly lit exit sign with an arrow pointing in the correct direction. Exterior doors must be marked with a similar exit sign, letting everyone know which door leads them to the safe outdoor areas. However, you have no reason to stop at the bare minimum of what the fire marshal demands.

     When there is an emergency in your business, school, warehouse or other building, you need to make it easy for people to evacuate. This can be extremely difficult when it's pitch dark. Rather than trapping everyone inside, you can use emergency exit lighting.

It's important that you meet all mandatory fire code regulations              at all times. You never know when there will be Fire Marshall inspections to see what's going on within your building. Various forms of equipment need to be present in your building.

In the midst of every day "normal" life, when the sun is shining and everybody is going on about every day business, it's easy to take for granted those little things we routinely walk past. But emergency exit lights, like alarms, are something you never want to dismiss.

Lighting Services, Inc has been shedding light on the US north-east coast for over 80 years. Our founder, Francis Clark, was a forward-thinker and a fellow of the Illumination Engineering Society (IES). The Society still uses criteria based on the thoughts and ideas of Clark and his fellows.