In an emergency, you need to find your way out of a facility in the quickest way possible. A property owner or manager should ensure that their building has fully-functional exit signs and emergency lights.
These signs and lights keep people orderly and put them at ease while they evacuate. These also help keep your building LIFE SAFETY and OSHA-compliant. Keeping yourself up to code will also help you avoid fines.
When you get exit signs installed, take it as a chance to have fire extinguisher inspections as well. Fire inspection personnel can instruct you or your building manager on how to care for fire protection devices, and they can replace these if they fail or burn out. You can also replace the damaged lights yourself. Here are some things to keep in mind when replacing emergency exit lights.
Why do emergency lights burn out?
You need to keep emergency lights on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Naturally, exit sign bulbs will wear out faster and burn out. There are three components to emergency signs that might cause burning out: the primary bulbs, the low-voltage ones, and the reserve batteries.
The primary bulb ensures that people can read the sign at all times. It is the first thing you should inspect if you notice issues with your emergency light. Meanwhile, the device uses low-voltage bulbs when you are on emergency light systems. Finally, the reserve battery powers the low-voltage bulb when the power goes out. If your low-voltage bulb is not working, you should check the battery for issues.
How to fix your emergency exit sign
If the light is not working, there are two things you could do to fix your sign. You could either replace the broken part or the entire device. Before buying a new emergency light, see if you can isolate the malfunctioning part. If you figure it out, you can buy a replacement for the defective piece only. Remove the front panel of the sign and find the bulb or battery that is causing the issue. If you need help with it, you can call a fire extinguisher service for assistance. If the repairs do not work, you can replace the sign outright.
Keep in mind that some types of bulbs burn out faster than others. If your exit sign uses incandescent light, you have to replace the bulbs at a faster rate. Save resources and install an LED sign; these lights consume less energy and save you money over time.
Conclusion
Building owners want to guarantee their occupants’ safety, and fire protection devices like emergency lights and extinguishers help with that. Apart from keeping your facilities compliant with regulations, these devices help you keep things orderly during an emergency.
Ideally, you want your exit sign working at all times. When it does burn out, it could be because of several things. Before changing your emergency lights, check with your local fire protection company if you can still have the sign repaired. If not, there are plenty of shops where you can get a replacement.
Don’t keep people using your building in the dark; install Atlantic Fire Pro emergency lights and exit signs today! We are a New Jersey and Pennsylvania fire suppression installation service, helping facilities protect themselves and keep their systems up and running. We have you covered from emergency lights to Ansul suppression systems; get in touch today for a free estimate!