Exit Signs & The 2009 International Building and International Fire Code

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If you own a large building, the safety of its egress system probably isn't the first thing on your mind. After all, most buildings never experience an emergency evacuation. But when they do, the safety of their egress system can mean the difference between a smooth evacuation and one that results in fatalities. Implementing the International Building Code and the International Fire Code's egress regulations is the best way to protect your building occupants against dangerous evacuations.

The International Building Code and International Fire Code apply to institutional, educational, business, hotel, public assembly and R-1 residential buildings that contain occupied floors above 75 feet from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access. The International Building Code governs new construction and is practiced by all 50 states. The International Fire Code governs new construction and exiting construction and is practiced in 42 states. If you live in a state that hasn't adopted a version of the International Fire Code, implementing its exit enclosure regulations is still critical to protecting your building occupants, and also your reputation. When evacuations result in casualties, the resulting bad press and legal action can be overwhelming.

Implementing the International Fire Code's exit enclosure regulations doesn't involve construction, expensive equipment or consulting fees. In fact, you can implement the regulations yourself by purchasing and applying luminous egress makings, floor identification signs, emergency exit symbols and fire safety signs according to the code's 2009 version. With your supplies in hand, you'll apply them to the following egress elements according to the International Fire Code: steps, landing areas, handrails, obstacles, door frames and door hardware.

If your building's exit enclosures contain emergency backup lighting, you might question the necessity of applying luminous egress markings and safety signs. There are two reasons. First, emergency back up lighting doesn't perform well in the presence of smoke. Instead of illuminating egress paths, its lighting can get lost in the smoke like a headlight gets lost in the fog. Second, emergency back up lighting is only as dependable as its power source. If generators power backup lighting and they fail, the lighting becomes useless. Unlike emergency back up lighting, photoluminescent material is self-sustaining and brightly glows and is not dependent ob back up batteries or generators, remaining easily visible through thick smoke and airborne debris because it is installed at the floor level, below the smoke.

Although statistics show that most buildings won't experience an emergency evacuation, gambling that your building won't experience one amounts to gambling with human lives. To make your building a safer place for all, take a look at what your vertical exit enclosures are lacking and implement the International Fire Code's egress regulations today.

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Education

Tags:

• ibc
• ifc
• international fire code
• international building code
• exit signs
• photoluminescent exit signs
• egress sytemes