The Importance of Emergency Lighting
Emergency Lighting is essential for safe building evacuation.
Through National emergencies like Hurricane Katrina and the Japanese Tsunami, we have discovered a great need for reliable, efficient emergency lighting. Buildings without emergency lighting will remain dark in the event of a power outage, making the evacuation slower for all concerned. Research has shown that individuals remain calmer when they are able to identify a clear escape route in an emergency. Manufactures like Utilitech are looking to improve their emergency lighting products all the time, in addition to making them safer, they are working on lowering their power consumption and improving efficiency.
A New Breed of Emergency Lighting
Most emergency lighting uses traditional incandescent lamps that are powered by a generator. Generators are programmed to activate when the main source of electricity is interrupted . Having sufficient space for backup generators makes them less desirable for widespread use and inaccessible to many family homes. Generators need a lot of space and a fuel (normally diesel) to operate, if they are not well maintained, they could fail to work in an emergency, leaving those involved with not light at all.
Glow in the dark paints and dyes are now being commissioned for use in emergency lighting for stairwells, corridors and exit ramps in addition to exit signs. The capability to illuminate darkened areas during a disaster, decreases the liability of building owners and helps ensure people will be able to exit in a more orderly fashion. These materials ensure safe, effective low voltage as means of providing emergency lighting.
Emergency Exit Signs
Emergency exit signs can be potentially life saving. They are designed help in the quick evacuation of a building during an emergency. They are basically glowing signs that display the word EXIT in either red on a white background or green on a white background. Emergency exit signage has to be fitted in all public places and places of work by order of federal, state, and local laws. Emergency exit signs provide a visual guide towards the nearest outside exit of a building. During emergencies such as earthquakes, fires, or power outages, the emergency exit sign can play a crucial role in guiding people out of buildings.
This type of emergency lighting is easy to install in any home.
Power Efficient and Easy to Maintain
Emergency exit signs that use L.E.D bulbs are now available, this new type of sign will easily fit into the space that an old sign once occupied. The incandescent bulbs in old exit signage consume around 50 watts of power on average. The life of an incandescent bulb is short, meaning a replacement will be needed every 3-5 months. L.E.D bulbs are much brighter than their traditional counterparts, and consume one tenth of the power, averaging around 5 watts. This means that even a small battery backup can power the light for over an hour in the event of power failing during an emergency. Also, because L.E.D bulbs have such a long lifespan, a sign can stay on for years before the need for maintenance. Less power usage also mean lower electricity bills.
Contact you local power supplier, as many are now offering to subsidise the cost of installing more power efficient and safe emergency lighting.
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