Emergency Lighting: What’s required for the workplace?

Is your office building under construction?

Are you about to open a new office or business and are awaiting inspection? Have you thought about all the details you need to make sure your building is up to code and safe for employees, customers, and clients?

Regulating authorities like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) among others have strict requirements for exit and emergency signs in buildings.

OSHA defines an “exit route” as “a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from any point within a workplace to a place of safety (including refuge areas).”

An exit route includes all vertical and horizontal areas along the route and consists of the following three parts:

• Exit access − an exit route that leads to an exit. An example of an exit access is a corridor on the fifth floor of an office building that leads to an enclosed stairway (the exit).
• Exit − means an exit route that is separated from other areas to provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge. An example of an exit is an enclosed stairway that leads from the fifth floor of an office building to the outside of the building.
• Exit Discharge − means the part of the exit route that leads directly outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the outside. An example of an exit discharge is a door at the bottom of an enclosed stairway that discharges to a place of safety outside the building.

Do You Have the Safety Signs to Keep Your Building Up to Code?

If not, look no further than RP Lighting. Make sure your building passes inspection with exit signs and emergency lighting, available in both halogen and LED for your application. Learn more on our website!