Photoluminescent signage can provide visible guidance when normal lighting levels fall, but its performance depends on the light available to charge it, where it is installed and the route it needs to identify.
A sign in a regularly lit corridor may receive adequate light. The same product in a stairwell with limited lighting, or an area where lights are switched off for long periods, may not.
NOVADURA manufactures photoluminescent signage for emergency escape routes. The construction and performance requirements need to be established alongside the building’s fire safety arrangements.
Start With the Building’s Escape Routes
The building’s fire risk assessment and fire safety strategy establish the escape routes and the signage required to identify them.
Signs need to provide clear direction at corridor junctions, changes of direction, staircases and exit doors. Their positions should follow the route occupants will take, with each sign visible from the relevant approach.
On refurbishment projects, existing positions should be checked against the current layout. Changes to partitions, doors and circulation routes can leave signs pointing in the wrong direction or hidden from view.
The project team should approve the escape-route layout and sign positions before the signage schedule is finalised.
High-Level Signs and Low-Location Guidance
High-level escape-route signs identify directions and exits along the route. Low-location guidance provides additional information closer to floor level where it forms part of the fire safety design.
Low-location guidance can be useful where smoke reduces visibility at higher levels, but the system must be planned as a continuous route.
The layout needs to account for doorways, junctions, changes of direction and interruptions to the guidance. Wall and floor surfaces, cleaning requirements and the risk of damage also affect the installation.
A few low-mounted signs are not the same as a complete safety way guidance system. The specification needs to establish which is required.
Check the Lighting Conditions Before Specifying
Photoluminescent materials absorb energy from an appropriate light source and release it as visible light when the surrounding illumination falls.
Their performance depends partly on the lighting available at the installed position.
A sign beneath regularly operating lighting will experience different conditions from one in a service corridor, plant area or stairwell controlled by occupancy sensors.
For each location, establish:
- the available light source and how it is controlled, including timers and occupancy sensors
- any periods when the area remains unlit
- whether the lighting conditions meet the charging requirements of the proposed photoluminescent material.
A product’s performance under test conditions should not be assumed to represent every installation. Where the available lighting is uncertain, it should be assessed against the product’s technical information.
Photoluminescent Signage and Emergency Lighting
Photoluminescent signage is specified to support emergency lighting rather than replace it.
Emergency lighting provides illumination when the normal lighting supply fails. Photoluminescent signs emit light previously absorbed from a suitable source.
The building’s fire risk assessment and fire safety strategy determine what is required.
Understanding Photoluminescent Performance Requirements
Photoluminescent performance is described using luminance measurements and performance classifications obtained under defined test conditions.
When reviewing a product specification, distinguish between the performance of the photoluminescent material and the requirements of the finished sign or guidance system.
A stated performance class should be supported by information identifying the test method, charging conditions, measured performance and the material or construction tested.
Fire performance is a separate requirement. Where a reaction-to-fire classification is specified, the evidence must relate to the material or sign construction covered by the test.
For projects requiring particular standards or classifications, the signage schedule should identify the relevant requirements and supporting documentation.
Select the Sign Construction for Its Location
An internal corridor sign, an exposed external panel and signage in an industrial service area can have different requirements for durability, cleaning and fixing.
NOVADURA’s primaDURA GLOW combines a photoluminescent finish with aluminium construction. The system is offered for internal and external signage, with surfaces designed to resist abrasion and graffiti.
For suitable internal applications, vitraDURA offers photoluminescent backing for selected glass and acrylic signs.
Panel dimensions, mounting arrangements, expected contact and cleaning requirements should be established for each location.
Where a project includes several sign types, the construction should suit the individual installation rather than applying the same specification throughout.
Installation and Maintenance
Wall construction, fixing positions and available mounting space affect how signs are installed. Signs should not be positioned where doors, equipment or stored materials could obscure them.
For replacement projects, photographs and measurements of the existing signs and supports help establish whether the current mounting arrangements can be reused.
Routine inspections should check that signs remain clean, legible, undamaged, securely fixed and visible from their intended approach.
Changes to the building’s lighting also matter. If the lighting that charges a photoluminescent sign is reduced, removed or operated differently, the suitability of the sign should be reassessed.
Cleaning methods should be compatible with the specified sign construction.
What to Include in the Signage Schedule
A clear schedule gives the manufacturer the information needed for each sign.
| Item | What to include |
|---|---|
| Sign reference and location | The intended position and whether it is internal or external. |
| Approved graphics | Symbols, directions and artwork. |
| Dimensions and construction | Panel size, material and finish. |
| Mounting details | Fixing method, installation surface and any dimensional restrictions. |
| Lighting conditions | The information relevant to charging the photoluminescent material. |
| Performance requirements | Applicable standards, classifications and any supporting evidence required by the project. |
| Maintenance requirements | Cleaning, access and environmental conditions. |
Where a low-location guidance system is specified, document its layout and continuity separately.
The completed schedule should reflect the approved fire safety design.
Discuss Your Photoluminescent Signage Requirements
NOVADURA manufactures photoluminescent signs, including primaDURA GLOW and fire evacuation signs, to project-specific dimensions.
Send us your drawings, signage schedule or details of an existing installation. We can review the manufacturing requirements and provide a quotation.
Photoluminescent signage samples are also available so you can check the material and finish before ordering.