Emergency Exit Signs and

Lights: Regulations and

Types

Detailed rules ensure that exit signs

and emergency lights remain easy to
see in an emergency
Exit signs and emergency lights facilitate safe evacuation from even the
most complicated buildings. When a fire or natural disaster leaves
buildings without power, these signs remain intact and illuminated,
guiding those inside to safety.

In this article, we’ll explain what life safety code and federal law expect
from exit signs and emergency lights. We’ll address some common
concerns when selecting an exit light, and take a look at code-compliant
products designed to meet safety needs in today’s buildings.

Already know what emergency exit light you want? Feel free to click here
to view our selection of emergency exit signs and emergency lights.

The NFPA and OSHA have similar

requirements for externally-
illuminated exit signs

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) developed standards for

emergency exit signs after a massive blaze killed nearly 150 people in a
Manhattan garment factory. By the 1940s, the NFPA published those
recommendations, which were gradually made part of state and local fire
codes. These local codes, along with workplace standards from the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), govern the use
of today’s exit signs and lights.

OSHA requires employers to install plainly-visible signs at all exits.

Employers must also provide sufficient lighting along exit routes. To
ensure visibility at all times, exit signs must have distinctive coloring and
reliable illumination. These signs must be illuminated to a surface value
of 5 foot-candles, which is roughly the minimum recommended
brightness in a parking garage.
The NFPA sets out illumination and visibility requirements for exit signs
and lights in NFPA 101: Life Safety Code. NFPA and OSHA requirements
overlap: both require that externally illuminated exit signs have 5 foot-
candles of illumination. Both treat visibility, continuous illumination, and
contrast as the cornerstones of functioning exit light or sign.