Norman Lamps, Inc.

Exit signs and emergency lighting are critical life-safety systems required by building codes to guide occupants safely out of buildings during emergencies and power failures. These aren't optional decorative elements – they're legally mandated safety equipment that must be properly maintained and functional at all times. Building codes, fire codes, and OSHA regulations specify where exit signs must be located, how bright they must be, how long they must operate on battery backup, and specific performance requirements that emergency lighting must meet.

Modern exit signs predominantly use LED technology, which has revolutionized exit sign reliability and maintenance. LED exit signs typically draw 2-5 watts versus 20-40 watts for older incandescent or fluorescent exit signs, reducing operating costs by 85-90%. More importantly, LED exit signs can run 10-15 years or more without requiring bulb changes, virtually eliminating the ongoing maintenance that older technologies required. When you're maintaining dozens or hundreds of exit signs across a facility, this maintenance reduction represents substantial labor savings.

Exit signs require battery backup systems that automatically activate when normal power fails, providing illumination for a minimum of 90 minutes as specified by most building codes (some jurisdictions require longer backup times). The backup batteries need periodic testing and replacement – typically every 3-5 years for NiCd batteries, 5-10 years for sealed lead-acid batteries. Many modern exit signs include self-testing capability that automatically tests the battery backup monthly and annually, maintaining logs to demonstrate code compliance during inspections.

Emergency lighting, distinct from exit signs but often integrated with them, illuminates pathways, stairwells, and exit routes during power failures so occupants can safely navigate to exits. Building codes typically require minimum illumination levels (usually 1 foot-candle average, 0.1 foot-candle minimum) along exit paths for the same 90-minute minimum duration. Emergency lights may be dedicated emergency fixtures with integral battery backup, or normal fixtures connected to emergency power circuits supplied by generators or central battery systems.

Color requirements vary by jurisdiction but most codes accept red or green illuminated exit signs, with green becoming increasingly common as it aligns with international standards. The letter size, stroke width, and contrast ratios are typically specified to ensure visibility from required distances – usually 50-100 feet depending on the specific installation. Photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) exit signs are accepted in some jurisdictions as alternatives to electrically illuminated signs, offering zero energy consumption but with limitations on suitable applications.

Compliance requirements include proper placement (above or adjacent to exit doors, along exit paths, at changes in direction), correct mounting height, adequate visibility from all approach directions, and proper labeling of doors that might be mistaken for exits ("Not an Exit" signs). Regular testing is mandatory – monthly quick tests to verify operation and annual full-duration tests to ensure 90-minute battery capacity. Documentation of testing and maintenance must be maintained for inspection by authorities having jurisdiction.

Replacement bulbs for older exit signs remain necessary for facilities maintaining incandescent or fluorescent exit signs, though retrofitting to LED is usually the smarter long-term investment. LED retrofit kits can often upgrade existing exit sign housings, preserving the housing while gaining LED efficiency and low maintenance. For emergency light fixtures, replacement bulbs typically include compact halogen, incandescent, or increasingly, LED bulbs designed for emergency fixture applications.

Exit Sign Technologies: LED (most efficient, 10-15 year life), compact fluorescent (legacy), incandescent (legacy, being phased out), photoluminescent (glow-in-dark, zero energy)

Key Requirements: 90-minute battery backup minimum, proper placement per code, adequate visibility, regular testing and maintenance, documentation of compliance

Applications: All commercial buildings, industrial facilities, multi-family residential, schools, hospitals, public buildings – any structure requiring exit signage per building codes