Building owners who are set in their ways are often resistant to consider self-illuminating exit signs instead of traditional electric exit signs. Self-illuminating signs may seem newfangled and strange, but they actually have a number of benefits over electric egress systems. Compared side-by-side, self-illuminating exit signs are actually less expensive to install, maintain, and operate; they are more eco-friendly; and they provide a greater level of safety than electric signs. Let’s take a look at each of these benefits in a bit more detail to explain why self-illuminating signs are the way of the future:
Self-illuminating egress systems use an inorganic photoluminescent material to glow-in-the-dark. The signs are brightly printed so that they are easily seen when the lights are on. In a situation where the lights suddenly go out, they use the energy that’s been gathered from ambient light sources to glow-in-the-dark. This means that photoluminescent signs supply effective exit signage in both light and dark conditions.
The great thing about photoluminescent exit signs is that they don’t require any electricity to do their job. Whereas the number of electric exit signs required to properly mark a commercial building can require thousands of dollars in energy costs every year, self-illuminating exit signs require no electricity at all. They are also much easier and thus less expensive to install. No wiring or batteries of any kind is needed to place a photoluminescent exit sign, just a few screws.
Better for the Environment
While an electric sign can have a carbon footprint of nearly half a million pounds of CO2 over the life of the product, the fact that self-illuminating signs require no energy to operate makes them a significantly greener option. Tritium based signs also don’t require electricity, but they can be extremely dangerous to the environment if improperly disposed of. The EPA actually has requirements for how tritium based signs can be used and disposed of. No such standards are necessary for photoluminescent signage.
A wide variety of emergency situations can lead to a power outage. In such an event, electric emergency signs will simply fail. Because photoluminescent signs don’t require any electricity, they are a much more reliable option, creating safer conditions for your building tenants in virtually any emergency situation. Because they are cheap and effective, self-illuminating signs and egress components can also be used more abundantly to mark not just exits but fire extinguishers, tripping hazards, stairwells, eyewash stations, fire alarms, emergency phones, and emergency medical supplies.
Self-illuminating exit signs can be bought in bulk or custom printed to suit your specific building needs. Contact Jessup Manufacturing Company, makers of GloBrite® Photoluminescent Systems, to learn more about how to make your building safer, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive to maintain with self-illuminating emergency signs.