The International Building Code will be adopting a new law regarding photoluminescent path markings in High Rise buildings in the state of California.  The law which should be passed in July or August of 2010 will require high rise buildings to have proper egress path markings in the stairwells.  This will consist of photoluminescet stair treading, photoluminescent markings on all hand rails, low level photoluminescent path markings and photoluminescent NFPA Symbols.  All materials will be UL 1994 listed and meet all

The installation of exit signs can be tiresome and expensive.  You must purchase the exit signs, then hire an electrician to tap into the power and connect all or you exit signs.  This approach can be costly.  There is another option.  Non-Electrical Exit Signs require no power and can be installed as easy as hanging a picture. This can save you money on the installation as well as your power bill.  An electrical exit sign can cost up to $45.00 per year per sign to power.  Non-Electrical Exit Signs use no power and therefore have no cost to use.  You can also cut down on man hours and replacement bulbs as well.  No one will have to change bulbs on a Non-Electrical Exit as there are no bulbs to be changed.  There are no Non-Electrical Exit Signs on the market today.  First we have the Eco-Friendly Photoluminescent Exit Signs.  These Exit Signs use and industrial grade Glow in the Dark pigment.  The only requirement for use is to provide five foot candles of light in the area of the exit sign during business hours.  Five foot candles of light translates to; “If you can read a book under the exit sign, you are fine”.  The other Non-Electrical Exit Sign available on todays market are the Tritium Nuclear Self Luminous Exit Signs.  These Non-Electrical Exit Signs provide a Tritium nuclear gas that is contained within special tubing.  This gas will stay luminous for 10 or 20 years depending on the model that you order.  Tritium is a naturally existing element found in our earths atmosphere.

Last year the ICC mandated that pathway markings systems be installed in new and existing high-rise buildings.  The mandate applies to the following occupancy types: assembly, business, education, institutional, mercantile, hotels and motels.  In the near future you will see rush of companies scrambling to install photoluminescent pathway markings.  In 2005 the same problem was encountered in New York City when Local Law 26 was implemented.  What resulted was businesses rushing to get the job down as quickly and cheaply as possible.  It’s important to choose a knowledgeable supplier such as Exit Sign Warehouse so that you do not end up with product that is insuffecient and the job has to redone.  This can save you thousands of dollars in the end.  Other common concerns might be the ability to achieve sufficient light levels in order to charge the photoluminescent pathway markings and acquiring quality product that will stand the test of time.  Once again for any questions or concerns please call a trained representative at Exit Sign Warehouse.