Emergency Lights and Exit Signs

Emergency Lights and Exit Signs

Emergency lighting is the one category on this site that is not about how a room looks. It is about people finding the exit when the power drops and the room goes black. It is also the category an inspector will check first.

What the code asks for

Most US jurisdictions follow NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code. The common requirements are:

  • 90 minutes of illumination after power is lost.
  • 1 foot-candle average along the path of egress, with no point below 0.1.
  • Monthly tests of 30 seconds and an annual test of the full 90 minutes.
  • Exit signs visible from any point on the egress path.

Your local authority can set stricter rules than the national code. Check with your inspector before you order for a new build.

The three fixture types

Type What it does
Exit sign Marks the door. Red or green letters, often with battery backup built in.
Emergency light Twin adjustable heads that switch on when power fails.
Combo unit Exit sign and emergency heads in one housing. Fewer boxes on the wall.

Self-testing units save time

A self-testing fixture runs its own monthly check and shows a fault with an LED on the housing. Across a building with twenty units, that turns a long manual round into a walk-past. It costs more up front and pays for itself in labour.

Specifying for a building

Send us your floor plans and we will mark up the egress path and return a fixture count. Pair these with commercial ceiling lights for the main scheme. Request a quote.