If you are looking into replacing your current emergency lighting system or starting a new construction, then you would do well to consider exit signs as an integral part of that plan.

Most exit signs and egress indicators over the last fifty years or so have been hard-wired into your building.  Or perhaps, if they were really progressive, they relied on batteries to power them and light your way in the event of an emergency. This was dependent, of course, on whether or not the batteries had a charge when the event occurred, and on whether or not the event in question entirely knocked out your building’s power source.

When the power goes off suddenly everything turns pitch black in an otherwise well lit area. Without proper emergency lighting a normal building becomes a dangerous obstacle course that skyrockets liability and makes finding the exit near impossible. Of course the U.S. has strict standards that must be met for the safety of everyone so you must make sure you are in code compliance for your emergency Exit Sign. Most property managers of commercial buildings are very aware that sufficient exit lighting is in place for emergencies but rarely test the system after the initial installation.

If it’s time to replace your emergency lighting or you have a new construction, do the smart thing and give the Exit Signs a hard look.