Architects: Photoluminescent Egress Path Markings

American Permalight®, Inc. has its Photoluminescent Egress Path Markings UL1994-listed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. for Activation by LED (Light Emitting Diode) and fluorescent lighting!

• Download the UL1994-listing Certificate here
• Download the UL1994-Activation Certificate here

UL1994-Listing In order for a manufacturer to use the NRTL – Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (such as UL – Underwriters Laboratories Inc or ETL-Intertek Testing) certification logo on their UL1994-listed Luminous Egress Path Markings, the manufacturer signs an on-going quality assurance testing agreement with the NRTL. This means that an NRTL field inspector makes unannounced quarterly inspections at the manufacturer’s location to make sure new production runs are manufactured in continued UL1994 listing compliance. This assurance gives peace of mind for life safety products! Permalight® Photoluminescent path-marking-system components intended to be installed on a stair nosing or as floor-mounted perimeter demarcation line have additionally been subjected to a slip-resistance test to UL410 – Standard for Slip Resistance of Floor Surface Materials and are permitted to be marked “Suitable for Stair Nosings” or equivalent wording.

NO UL1994-Listing for Photoluminescent Paint As Photoluminescent Paint cannot get a UL1994-listing, Div. 09 9000 Paints is typically not the right specification division. While photoluminescent paint manufacturers could get a laboratory luminance test performed on their paint product to ASTM E2072-14 Standard per ASTM E2073-10 Test Method, Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. states on its website www.ul.com under IMZI.GuideInfo: Luminous Egress-path-marking Systems: Paint or pigment material must be pre-applied (at the manufacturing facility) to a substrate; field application of photoluminescent pigment (by painting, spraying, or similar method) directly to building materials or surfaces is not permitted due to uncontrolled application variables deemed significant for product performance. Another drawback of ASTM E2072-14 is that this standard does not require testing of a marking for its floor-suitability. As architect, you would not have the assurance that the photoluminescent marking is durable enough to provide slip resistance in a floor installation. ASTM E2072-14 also does NOT require any follow-up quality assurance testing of new production runs beyond that once-luminance-tested paint sample. So possibly a photoluminescent sample got tested once; yet future production runs may never get tested again by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.

Permalight® – a proven Photoluminescent Technology! In 1994, following the first terrorist bomb attack in the World Trade Center basement parking garage, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey installed Permalight® photoluminescent markings on the steps, landings and handrail top bars inside their emergency staircases. During the 9/11/2001 World Trade Center New York City evacuation, 33% of survivors in WTC Tower I and 17% of survivors in WTC Tower II were aided by the Permalight® photoluminescent markings on the steps, landings and handrails: see NIST study at nist.gov. Based on the NIST findings, the New York City Department of Buildings developed a range of improvements, enforced by Local Law 26 of 2004, which included photoluminescent exit path markings. Since then, both NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and ICC (International Code Council) have added photoluminescent egress path markings to their domestic codes. Permalight® Photoluminescent Exit Path Markings are now installed in WTC 7 (formerly dubbed The Freedom Tower). And you find Permalight® Photoluminescent Egress Path Markings in hundreds of NYC high-rises plus nationwide high-rise hotels, motels, hospitals and administrative buildings. Follow the lead of the Code-writing organizations and improve life safety in buildings, using Permalight® UL1994-listed photoluminescent egress path markings.