What are the two types of exit signs?
Electrical exit signs use LED (light emitting diode) light strips to provide red or green EXIT illumination. Photoluminescent non-electrical exit signs glow in the dark by absorbing light and then glowing in dark conditions.
What do exit signs mean?
An exit sign is a pictogram or short text in a public facility (such as a building, aircraft, or boat) denoting the location of the closest emergency exit to be used in case of fire or other emergency that requires rapid evacuation.
Can exit signs be any color?
Any color, or color combinations, that is readily visible or distinctive in appearance on exit signs is acceptable to OSHA. It is possible that local building codes may requires a certain color, but our standards do not.
Do exit signs need to be lit?
Section 29 CFR 1910.37(q)(6), requires that exit signs in occupied workplaces be illuminated from a reliable external light source which provides a minimum of 5-foot candles on the sign surface. Electrical power supply from a public utility company is considered to be reliable.
Are exit lights always on?
Exit signs that are internally lighted operate in much the same way as emergency lights. Because they stay on all the time, many of them have two sets of bulbs. One set, that is normally on, operates on 110 volt building power.
What makes exit signs glow?
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 can exit signs be clear but say exit on both sides?
The reason for this is simple: the word EXIT will read backwards on the back side of the sign. To combat this, you insert an opaque lens between the two sides of the panel. Another interesting aspect ordering double sided signs is the arrows.
How do exit signs work?
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. The signs have a button to test the battery.
Does it matter if exit signs are red or green?
Actually no. As per NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 101 and OSHA (Operational Safety And Health Administration), any color that is distinctive and contrasts with the background is acceptable.
Do exit signs need illuminated?
The Life Safety Code offers many details regarding acceptable illumination of exit signs. Under section 7.10. 1.2 it states that all exit signs must be illuminated by a reliable light source and must be legible in both normal and emergency exit lighting modes.