Exit Signs vs Emergency Lighting
Exit signs mark the path to safety. Emergency lighting illuminates the path to safety.
In the hotel inspection video below, exit signs are installed in the guest room corridor. These signs have directional arrows that show occupants where to turn to get to the two designated exit stairwells. Without these arrows, occupants could continue down the corridor and miss the exits all together.
Although the corridor has exit signs, it lacks emergency lighting, however. During a power failure, emergency lighting activates to illuminate the floors and walls. Exit signs and emergency lighting work together to provide a safe route of egress to occupants during an emergency. Verifying the exit signs and emergency lighting is an important part of a life safety inspection. Watch the video below to learn more.
Commercial Building Inspections
Commercial buildings are subject to inspections by code officials, fire marshals, and other AHJs (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) to verify compliance with applicable requirements. A commercial property inspection does not replace or surpass these inspections. Instead, inspectors can use the International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties (ComSOP) to assess the building as it exists and help clients identify conditions that may warrant attention or come up during an AHJ inspection.
For exit signs and emergency lighting, Section 6.5.12 of the ComSOP states that an inspector should inspect for the presence of the following:
- Emergency lighting systems
- Exit signs at all exits, including independent power sources, such as batteries
- Directional signs where an exit location is not obvious
Appendix Section A.4.12 of the ComSOP lists recommended reporting guidelines. These guidelines include documenting exit signage and/or emergency lighting that are absent, appear aged, or are damaged.
Where are Exit Signs and Emergency Lighting Required?
For inspection purposes, exit signs and emergency lighting are required along the means of egress. The means of egress is the designated path occupants follow to safely exit a building during an emergency.
At the beginning of a life safety inspection, locate the two designated egress paths from the interior to the exterior at ground level. Walk this route to check for exit signs and emergency lighting.
Exit signs are designed to identify exit doors. Therefore, signage should be placed directly above them. Additional exit signs, their directional markers, and the emergency lighting all help guide occupants along the means of egress. Document any missing components or directional signage that could cause confusion for occupants.
The presence of two egress paths is required by building codes to provide an alternate route if one path is blocked or unsafe. Some codes allow a single exit if the maximum travel distance does not exceed 75 feet (22.86 m).
Certain rooms require emergency lighting with an emergency power source such as:
- Electric equipment rooms
- Fire command centers
- Fire pump rooms
- Generator rooms
- Public restrooms with an area larger than 300 square feet
These areas require emergency lighting because they may be occupied or need to remain safely accessible during a power failure. Beyond these guidelines for commercial property inspectors, requirements come from building codes, fire codes, and federal regulations. Learn more about requirements commonly adopted or enforced by the AHJ in the Inspecting for Exit Signs and Emergency Lighting at Commercial Buildings article.
Identify the Means of Egress
A building’s approved construction or alteration plans determine its means of egress. During an inspection, check for designated egress paths marked by exit signs and emergency lighting. Posted emergency evacuation maps can also serve as an additional resource.
In the high-rise inspection video below, the inspector uses the evacuation map as a starting point. The map illustrates two AHJ-approved egress routes, orients the inspector with a “You Are Here” marker, and identifies key egress components. He then compares the map to current conditions, checking for exit signage, directional indicators, and emergency lighting, or lack thereof.
The office suite in the high-rise inspection video was undergoing a tenant buildout, with divider walls planned before occupancy. The planned alterations created a limitation to the life safety inspection, as the new floor layout requires updated evacuation maps subject to AHJ approval.
This limitation did not prevent the inspection of other existing conditions. Other issues were identified, such as an exit sign placed above a dead-end electrical equipment room. This is an issue that could cause occupants to mistake the room for an exit during an evacuation. Ask clients about planned layout changes up front, discuss how they limit the inspection, and apply the ComSOP as you complete the inspection.
Emergency Power Requirements
Both exit signs and emergency lighting are connected to normal building power and designed to automatically switch to emergency power during a power outage. Emergency power can be supplied by unit equipment (battery-backed fixtures), central storage battery systems, or an on-site generator. Generally, building codes require exit signs and emergency lighting to provide at least 90 minutes of emergency power if there is a power outage.
While the ComSOP requires verifying the presence of an independent power source, inspectors aren’t required to test functionality or verify battery duration. Inspectors who choose to go beyond the baseline scope can test units by pressing and holding the unit’s recessed “Push-to-Test” button to simulate power loss and verify that the independent power source activates.
Illumination Requirements
Means of egress illumination requirements determine how bright a space must be. This brightness is measured in foot-candles, which is a unit of light intensity on a one-square-foot surface. Exit signs and emergency lighting serve as the primary sources of illumination.
Building codes also require luminous egress path markings that clearly identify exit paths in high-rise buildings for certain use and occupancies, including:
- Assembly Group A: Spaces where people gather in groups for social, civic, religious, dining, or entertainment purposes (i.e., movie theaters, nightclubs, casinos, stadiums).
- Business Group B: Spaces used for office, professional, or service-type transactions, as well as general record-keeping (i.e., offices, colleges and universities, outpatient clinics).
- Educational Group E: Buildings or spaces used by six or more people for educational purposes through the 12th grade, as well as certain daycare facilities.
- Institutional Group I-1: Facilities where more than 16 residents live on a 24-hour basis and receive custodial care in a supervised environment (i.e., assisted living facilities, drug treatment centers, group homes).
- Mercantile Group M: Buildings or spaces used for displaying and selling merchandise where the general public has access (i.e., department stores, drugstores, retail shops).
- Residential Group R-1: Spaces containing sleeping units where occupants are primarily transient, staying temporarily for 30 days or less (i.e., hotels, motels, transient boarding houses).
Inspectors should find luminous egress path markings in interior exit stairways, interior exit ramps, and exit passageways in high-rise buildings where required based on use and occupancy, often in the form of luminous tape or paint.
For example, in the high-rise inspection video below, safety-grade luminescent tape was installed to meet illumination requirements in an interior exit stairwell. While measuring foot-candles is beyond the ComSOP scope, inspectors should note any unlit fixtures or the presence of supplemental lighting measures in their report.
Beyond Exit Signs and Emergency Lighting
While commercial property inspections do not replace official AHJ enforcement, inspectors need to have a strong working knowledge of egress design, lighting standards, and emergency power systems. This knowledge allows inspectors to identify critical issues that make buildings safer and help clients understand what is needed to maintain compliance.
The ComSOP incorporates the life safety elements based on a core principle:
“If an egress or lighting component was required by the AHJ upon construction or alteration, it must be maintained in good working order throughout the building’s lifespan.”
Assessing exit signs and emergency lighting is only one part of a life safety inspection. You must also hold an understanding of critical concepts related to building design, maintenance, compliance, and active and passive fire protection.
Take the Inspecting Commercial Fire and Life Safety Systems Online Course to learn the baseline ComSOP scope applied during commercial real estate due diligence and maintenance inspections. This course covers an array of life safety system topics, including exit signs, emergency lighting, automatic sprinkler systems and their components, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, fire doors, and fire-resistive assemblies.