The Lighting Council Australia (LCA) recently launched a safety campaign to crackdown the use of a dangerous line of exit signs, with SS Signs welcoming the move.
Photoluminescent (PL) exit signs have come under increased scrutiny due to concerns that they pose a safety threat due to their extremely poor visibility in a darkened space during an emergency.
Battery-powered exit signs maintain a strong visibility for hours, while photoluminescent signs fade within minutes, posing a serious safety hazard.
These signs recently entered the market as an alternative to traditional battery-powered exit signs.
SS Signs, which has expanded into the building signage area, told Sprinter it is fully supporting the LCA’s campaign.
Its operations manager Luke Lambourne said, “At SS Signs, safety and compliance are at the core of everything we do. We fully support the Lighting Council Australia’s campaign to remove unsafe photoluminescent exit signs from the market. These signs simply don’t offer the reliability needed in a real emergency, putting lives at unnecessary risk.
“We’ve already listed Statutory Door Signage on our website, and we’re excited to soon offer a full range of Emergency Signage and Braille Signage. Our goal is to make it easier for all customers to meet their compliance requirements and purchase everything they need from one trusted supplier – SS Signs.”
LCA CEO Malcolm Richards said following extensive research conducted by the council, there was an urgent need to crackdown 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.
“LCA is launching a campaign to educate industry on the need to crackdown on the use of PL exit signs and to only use reliable battery-powered signs.”
Richards also confirmed that the LCA has made representations to the authorities about the signs not being bright enough to be seen which he hopes will bring about a change to the codes and standards governing exit signs.
“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,” he said.
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