LCA calls for urgent action on exit signs

Australia’s peak body for the lighting industry has launched a major campaign to change the National Construction Code’s rules on photoluminescent (PL) exit signs.

Lighting Council Australia (LCA) is concerned that the current regulations, which stipulate that PL exit lights need only achieve 30 millicandela per square metre, are allowing substandard products into the market, leading to unsafe conditions in the nation’s commercial premises. For comparison, battery backup signs must currently meet 8 candela per m².

Recently entering the market as an alternative to traditional battery-powered exit signs, PL exit signs have come under increased scrutiny due to concerns they pose a safety threat thanks to their extremely poor visibility in a darkened space during an emergency.

CEO Malcolm Richards said that, following extensive research conducted by LCA, there was an urgent need to crack down on PL exit signs.

“LCA is incredibly concerned at the safety threat these exit signs pose to any employee, customer or emergency services personnel during an emergency,” Richards said.

“Battery-powered exit signs maintain a strong visibility for hours, but photoluminescent signs fade within minutes, thus posing a serious safety hazard that cannot be tolerated.

“LCA is launching a campaign to educate industry on the need to crack down on the use of PL exit signs and to only use reliable battery-powered signs.”

Richards also said that many PL signs have been installed in a non-compliant manner, which has been reported to the local authorities.

LCA staff have met with all the major associations in the fire, emergency and electrical industries, as well as holding preliminary meetings with the Australian Building Codes Board, which controls the National Construction Code.

The lighting body is working with many other organisations, including FPAA, NFIA, NECA, MEA and AFAC, to get the word out to wider industry. It has also written to some of the major customers of unsafe exit signs — including Wesfarmers, Bunnings and major shopping centres — to alert them to the issue, including potential liability concerns.

While it lobbies the Australian Building Codes Board, LCA intends to raise public and industry awareness of its concerns via mainstream media, social media and its website.

“Every exit light in Australia should meet the same standard of brilliance which should enable everyone to easily find the exit path in an emergency,” Richards said.

“Building operators shouldn’t wait for the regulatory framework to catch up before they take steps to lift safety standards that protect both staff and the public.

“Every building operator in the country should undertake an audit of their exit signs. They should ensure that only battery-powered exit signs are installed on any property they operate.”

LCA has conducted preliminary testing that demonstrates the relative weakness and fast fading of photoluminescent exit lights compared to traditional exit lights, as shown in the video below.

Top image credit: iStock.com/Prot Tachapanit. Image is used for illustrative purposes only.