Behind every new building code change,

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1 HERE WE GO AGAIN! ANOTHER CODE CHANGE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY OURS TO GAIN OR LOSE by: Jerry Heid, AHC/ CSI, Vice President Sales, Zero International PHOTOLUMINESCENCE CASTS NEW LIGHT ON OUR LIFE SAFETY CREDENTIALS Behind every new building code change, there is opportunity. If that s not already standard wisdom in our industry, it should be! Once again, we have an opportunity to grow our industry and further enhance our standing as life safety professionals. The New York City (NYC) Building Code now mandates the installation of photoluminescent signs and markings in high-rise (i.e., higher than 75 feet) buildings to facilitate safe emergency exits during building evacuations when power and backup power systems have failed. Placed close to the floor to allow v isibilit y in smoke a nd crowded cond it ions, they are additions to, but do not replace, other signage required under the building code. It is important to note that provisions for photoluminescent exit path markings already exist as options or guidelines in other codes and standards. While the NYC code is the first to make them mandatory, their value in guiding evacuations along smoke-filled or crowded exit paths ensures it will not be the last. Adopted in May 2005, reference standard RS 6-1 and 6-1A of the NYC building code establishes technical standards for installation in compliance with New York City Local Law 26 of These signs and markings must be installed on or before July 1, 2006, in both new and existing high-rises. Photoluminescent signs and markings (for convenience, referred to collectively in this article as photoluminescent systems ) are essentially products that glow in the dark. Photoluminescent material is charged by exposure to ambient light and emits luminescence after the activating light source is no longer available. The NYC standard calls for photoluminescence both in directional signs pointing to exits and in markings showing outlines of egress paths, stairs, handrails and obstacles. Products to meet these requirements include a variety of self-adhesive signage and marking systems designed for specific uses, as well as non-slip, tractiontread stair nosings. Applications for doors and door hardware on egress paths are logical venues for supply by door and hardware distributors. Other photoluminescent systems required by NYC will extend our reach into less familiar though not difficult territory. In any event, it is certain that photoluminescent systems will be sold as complete packages. Numerous life safety experts and consultants are already launching campaigns to provide integrated packages. Life safety with regard to doors should be our exclusive domain. But if we fail to act, it is also certain that other trades will preempt our industry and take the door business and its lucrative profit potential along with their own in supplying photoluminescent systems. In fact, this general scenario is becoming all too familiar to our industry. Because it strikes at our reputation, as well as going straight to our bottom line, it is worth 22 DOORS AND HARDWARE JANUARY 2006

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3 digressing briefly from our focus on photoluminescent systems to consider other lost opportunities. Then we will return to examining more closely this opportunity, including: the life-safety origins and purpose of the NYC standard, its possible impact on standards and codes elsewhere in the country, and its basic product and installation requirements. Ceding territory, revenues and prestige It has happened before all too often. Other trades benefit from our slow reaction time. And unwillingness to stretch a bit leads too easily to forfeiting ground. When aluminum/ glass-type doors were first installed at building entrances, some door and hardware suppliers took a pass on tackling hardware challenges such as concealed exit devices and floor closers for those doors. In the intervening years, other trades moved in to fill the gaps. Now specs typically read hardware by others. Our industry supplies only keyed cylinders; aluminum, glass and glazing contractors supply the rest. Similarly, the advent of closed circuit TV and security hardware ultimately prompted the formation of a new industry around security and electrical hardware. Instead of our industry s reluctance to get educated and understand electrical hardware, a more proactive stance could have forestalled that development. Our credibility as life safety and security consultants has suffered. In some states, security contractors have even succeeded in lobbying for state codes mandating their services in place of ours. Door louvers h ave t rad it ionally been part of our package, but Our credibility as life safety and security consultants has suffered. mechanical contractors are now occasionally picking them up and putting them in their contracts without being contested. Other threats to our package are code-driven. As we all should be aware, proposals to allow sprinkler systems to supercede current standards for compartmentalized fire protection would eliminate requirements for fire doors and related hardware, including items such as smoke gasketing. Gaining or even holding ground against these kinds of direct and indirect challenges takes commitment and initiative. The downside of doing nothing to supply photoluminescent systems is the same as above others will step in and close us out. The good news is that the technology is not complex, and NYC s application requirements, while extremely detailed, are manageable. Revenue potential for retrofitting NYC buildings alone is sizable, and the NYC law indisputably sets the optimum standard for the rest of the country. It seems well worth our time to familiarize ourselves with photoluminescent requirements and systems in order to make educated judgments about this particular opportunity. Purpose and direction New York City s standard for photoluminescent exit path markings has its origins in both World Trade Center (W TC) tragedies. Following the first attack on WTC in 1993, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the independent agency that owns and managed the complex, implemented recommendations for improving safety, which included installing photoluminescent signs and markings. Those systems were largely in place when W TC was attacked again in A task force convened following the 2001 attack brought together a broad coalition of groups including both public and private sector experts and survivors of the attack to review the stringent high-rise building and design construction and operating requirements then in place. Their recommendations for modifications to enhance public safety included codifying standards for photoluminescent systems into New York City law. Richard Picciotto, a retired deputy chief with the New York City Fire Department, provides a unique firsthand perspective on these events. Picciotto was the keynote speaker at our most recent DHI Convention and is the author of a best-selling book, Last Man Down, recounting his unique personal experience at the World Trade Center on September 11, Picciotto was on the 35 th story of the North Tower when the South Tower came down and on the 6 th story when the North Tower collapsed. He spent more than five hours in a small, protected pocket before being rescued. In Picciotto s opinion, Photoluminescent materials definitely help in the evacuation of a building. This is especially true in high-rise buildings. Many of the occupants have never been in the stairways and do not know where the stairways and emergency exits terminate. He 24 DOORS AND HARDWARE JANUARY 2006

4 notes that evacuation conditions differed substantially between the two events. Occupants were able to evacuate much more quickly in 2001 largely because power remained on and there was no smoke on the lower floors. He adds, Emergency lighting with photoluminescence would have made a huge difference in 1993, when occupants had to feel their way down stairwells in smoke and total darkness. The Picture Beyond NYC It is important to keep in mind that photoluminescent systems also have a life beyond New York City. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) first recognized photoluminescent exit markings in its 2000 Life Safety Code and incorporated updated provisions in both the 2003 and 2006 editions of the Life Safety Code and NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code. Robert E. Solomon, NFPA assistant vice president for building and life safety codes, notes the broad extent of the New York law, which he sees as optimum in its scope and installation detail. By comparison, the NFPA has adopted what he calls minimum requirements for exit signs, egress and floor exit path markings. (More specific requirements apply to special amusement buildings that intentionally operate in dark environments, usually without direct lighting.) According to Solomon, photoluminescent systems fit into one of two options that satisfy NFPA requirements for exit path markings. He explains, The first option is an externally illuminated system, which requires a light source in close proximity to the sign and that is usually connected to the emergency lighting facilities as well. The second option is an internally illuminated system, which is self-contained (i.e., the light source emanates from the sign). These systems may derive their light source from a traditional, electrical power circuit that is not connected to an on/off switch. Photoluminescent signs fall into this category since the light source emanates from the sign itself once an external light source has charged the surface. The code includes other back-up or ancillary system requirements that address what NFPA sees as inherent limitations in each technology. An important provision in the codes is that the signs have to satisfy the performance FREE ADVERTISER INFORMATION AT: JANUARY 2006 DOORS AND HARDWARE 25

5 criteria of UL 924, Standard for Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment. Solomon also serves on the ASTM subcommittee evaluating photoluminescent markings. ASTM E ( Guide for Recommended Uses of Photoluminescent Safety Markings ) is a recently published guide to recommended use, but is not a standard practice. In Solomon s view, the companion guide ASTM E ( Standard Specification for Photoluminescent Safety Markings ) is similar to the New York law with regard to detailed performance and installation specifications. Kimberly Paarlberg, Senior Staff Architect at the International Code Council (ICC), advises that the current International Building Code contains no requirements for photoluminescent markings in Chapters 10 and 11 governing Means of Egress and Accessibility. (There is a provision for alternative products such as photoluminescence in Chapter 1, Alternative Materials and Methods, which would allow uses such as glow strips on concrete floors to assist in marking paths across huge interior spaces in warehouses and other unusual spaces.) Current ICC provisions for the path of travel when exiting buildings include requirements for exit sign illumination, minimum illumination levels and emergency power, as well as various stairway requirements addressing safe egress. Paarlberg, who handles communications among all parties proposing code changes for Chapters 10 and 11, reports that various proposals containing pieces of the New York photoluminescent standard have so far been rejected by the ICC voting body. Proper application, uniform enforcement, maintenance issues, and the impact of renovations on markings are among the concerns yet to be resolved. The placement of tactile markings for the visually impaired is also being debated. To date, a proposal for glow strips on steps in stairwells has received the most activity, Paarlberg said. In sum, there are no current plans by the major code bodies to incorporate anything close to the New York...Unwillingness to stretch a bit leads too easily to forfeiting ground. City standard for photoluminescent exit path marking. However, options for photoluminescence already existing in some codes are likely to become more commonplace as code officials gain more experience in the application and inspection of these systems. It is also likely that cost considerations will favor the use of photoluminescence over alternative emergency lighting options in many cases. That s the ticket for door and hardware suppliers. As codes throughout the rest of the country begin to catch up with New York City, we need to be ready to supply this material and ensure that it is not already in packages supplied by others. What does the New York standard say? The flip answer is: more than you really want to know for your general education and, rest assured, more than we intend to cover in this article. Read on for a practical overview of the major sections of the standard, followed by suggestions for translating the requirements into part of your hardware package. The code provides very detailed placement instructions and mapping diagrams for signs and marking strips. The figures shown in this article provide representative detail, but of course you will need to refer to the standard itself when supplying these products. The photoluminescent section of Zero International s Web site at provides a downloadable PDF of standard RS 6-1 and 6-1A. It is also available at dob/html/reference/code_update05. shtml. The following basic requirements are laid out in New York City Local Law 26, Section part B, which calls for use of approved photoluminescent material that is washable, non-toxic, non-radioactive, and if subjected to fire [is] self-extinguishing when the flame is removed. 1. All doors opening to corridors, to an exit, or to an exit passageway, shall be marked with the word exit. 2. Within exit stairs, horizontal extensions in exit stairs, horizontal exits, supplemental vertical exits and exit passageways, except within street level lobbies, there shall be directional markings. 3. Required markings for exit paths shall comply with the technical standards for installation and placement to be set forth in a reference standard. Such reference standard shall be designated RS 6-1 and shall be adopted on or before January 1, 2006 Reference standard 6-1 is our focus for the remainder of this overview. (Standard RS 6-1A, referenced previously, includes additional standards required by 6-1.) The first section of 6-1 outlines the minimum per- 26 DOORS AND HARDWARE JANUARY 2006

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7 formance of the photoluminescent materials. It provides technical specifications for: brightness rating (BR), washability, toxicity, radioactivity and flame spread. An additional test is required for UV resistance if products are to be used in unfiltered sunlight or exterior weather conditions. Products must be independently tested and certified for approval by the New York City Department of Buildings Materials Equipment Acceptance Division (MEA). MEA labels are required on all installed products. The second part of RS 6-1 deals with the minimum requirement for placement of photoluminescent products. For our purposes, we begin on familiar turf by summarizing the requirements for door signs and markings. Photoluminescent signs and markings are required on or next to: 1. Doors opening to exits or exit passageways, 2. Doors opening to corridors that act as required exit passageways connecting two vertical exits, and 3. Doors serving as horizontal exits. Figure A Placement for Door Signs Door Signs (Figure D) A couple of definitions are needed here. Final exit doors lead directly to the exterior or to a street-level lobby. Intermediate exit doors are doors used in the egress direction (including both vertical and horizontal exits, as well as transition passageways) but do not lead directly to the exterior or street-level lobby. For intermediate and final exit doors, signs must be mounted on the wall directly adjacent to the door. Signs for all other doors can be installed either on the wall surface, on the door itself, or in both places. Figure A shows the parameters for placement of signs in both locations. The 18-inch line above the finish floor for placement of the top of signs extends to 26 inches for installations in existing buildings, where necessary because of molding, baseboards or similar features. (The standard provides numerous exceptions for existing buildings, i.e., buildings with plans approved prior to July 1, 2006), most of which we will not address here.) Signs are required on both doors in pair configurations. Arrows showing the direction of travel to final exit (example in Figure B) are required on wall-mounted signs but can be omitted from doors mounted on the doors. Signs for final exit doors contain supplemental directional text (example in Figure C). Except in existing buildings, doors along egress paths that lead to dead ends (such as mechanical rooms and storage closets) require photoluminescent signs reading NOT AN EXIT. (Figure D) Figure B Intermediate Exit Door Sign Wall-Mounted/ Exit Left Arrow Figure C Final Exit Door Sign Exit Through Lobby Figure D Door Sign Not an Exit Figure E Door Hardware Markings Latch Type and and Door Door Bar Bar Type Type Figure F Door Frame Markings 28 DOORS AND HARDWARE JANUARY 2006

8 Figure I Hand Rail Markings Figure G Stair and Landing Edge Markings Figure H Figure Side Edge Markings Side Edge Markings Door Hardware Markings (Figure E) Door hardware on all intermediate and final exit doors requires a minimum of 16 square inches (406 mm 2 ) of photoluminescent material to mark the door handle. It can be placed behind, immediately adjacent to, or on the door handle and/ or escutcheon. Where a panic bar is installed, a stripe at least one inch (25mm) wide must extend along the entire length of the actuating bar or touchpad. Door Frame Markings (Figure F) The top and sides of the door frame of all intermediate and final exit doors must be marked with a solid and continuous stripe of photoluminescent material from one to two inches (25 mm to 51 mm) wide. The stripes may be placed on walls surrounding the frames if the door molding does not provide enough flat surface on which to locate the stripe. The dimensions, distances and locations of the required markings must be consistent and uniform on all doors on the route to the exterior of the building. Other requirements of RS 6-1 will take us into specification sections where we do not usually have reason to go. The standard spells out minimum requirements for placement of photoluminescent markings within vertical and horizontal exits (including extensions and supplemental exits as defined by the NYC Building Code), and within exit passageways. Markings are not required in street level lobbies, exterior stairs, or exterior balconies. In general, dimensions, distances and placement of markings must be uniform throughout the same exit. RS 6-1 provides specifications for width, length, placement and overlap as appropriate for each category of photoluminescent markings within these exits. Steps (Figures G & H) The entire horizontal leading edge of each step is to be marked with a solid and continuous stripe of photoluminescent material (Figure G). For steps in existing buildings, the leading edge stripe must extend to within two inches (51mm) of both sides of the step. Alternatively, side edge markings providing returns extending along the leading edge can be used on both horizontal sides of each step (Figure H). Leading Edge of Landings (Figure G) Photoluminescent stripes must be placed along the leading edge of all landings, such as the platforms at the top of stairs. The specifications are the same as for steps, except that the stripes may extend the full length of the leading edge of the landing, and there are no exceptions for existing buildings. Handrails (Figure I) The top surface of all handrails must be marked with a solid and continuous stripe of photoluminescent material extending along their entire length, including handrail extensions and newel post caps. For buildings with plans approved prior to July 1, 2006, handrails are not required to be marked. Floor Perimeter Demarcation Lines (Figures J) Placed close to the floor on both sides of egress paths, these lines are intended to outline the paths. All parts of the exit path, including stair landings, must be marked, except for the sides of stairs and areas leading to obstructions or dead ends. The demarcation lines must be JANUARY 2006 DOORS AND HARDWARE 29

9 Figure G Stair and Landing Edge Markings Side Edge Markings Hand Rail Markings Figure G Stair and Landing Edge Markings Figure J Floor Demarcation Lines Figure J Floor Demarcation Lines solid and continuous stripes, which may be interrupted to accommodate obstructions such as conduits, moldings, corners or bends. The lines may be mounted on the wall (Figure J) or placed on the floor. Figure J Floor Demarcation Lines Obstacles (Figure K) Obstacles such as standpipes, hose cabinets, wall projections, and restricted height areas that project Figure K Obstacle Figure K Markings Obstacle Marking Figure H Figure Side Edge Markings Side Edge Markings Figure L Directional Sign Progress to the Right more than four inches into egress paths must be outlined with alternating bands of photoluminescent material and black, angled at 45 degrees. Figure K Obstacle Figure K Markings Obstacle Marking Figure L Directional Sign Progress to the Right Directional Signage Upon Entering an Exit, at Transfer Levels and Where Egress Direction is Not Clear (Figure L) The standard requires the placement of directional signs at the entrance to every stairwell or exit on exit paths so that opening the door does not obstruct their visibility. These signs are to include an arrow indicating the direction of travel. Placement location is the same as for door signs top edge of the signs must be no more Figure than M eighteen inches (457 mm) above the finished Stair Nosing TRACTION TREAD floor. Existing buildings are exempt from the directional sign requirement, except for below-grade Figure M stories. TRACTION TREAD Directional signs including Stair Nosing arrows indicating the direction of travel must also be mounted on the wall at transfer levels and wherever egress direction is not clear. Examples of those locations include turns along horizontal extensions, transition points from vertical to horizontal direction, and T intersections. What happens next? Armed with basic education about photoluminescent signs and markings, our first priority as an industry should be to make sure these systems become part of our package. You have probably ascertained from the preceding recap that various products required by the New York standard could be furnished by electricians handling the exit signs, contractors pouring the steps and using stair nosings, or miscellaneous metals contractors. Any of those groups, along with specialty photoluminescent or safety contractors could step in and take the whole package, unless we get there first. Offering good-quality product is an important pre-requisite to entering the competitive fray. The maintenance standard in RS 6-1 requires building owners to inspect all signage and markings annually and promptly repair or replace any that 30 DOORS AND HARDWARE JANUARY 2006

10 are missing, damaged or loose; show signs of wear; or are missing MEA labels. Other sections give guidance for owners but provide no mandates or specifications in assessing building conditions and product needs for abrasion resistance, adhesion, and slip-resistance. Obviously all are important to prolonging service life, and products offering superior performance can help minimize maintenance costs and headaches. For example, high-traffic stairwells will subject adhesive marking strips to heavy abuse. Stair nosings with profiled grooves, rubber inserts and photoluminescent integrated into the outside-edge grooves, provide a more durable, as well as non-slip, solution. How do we specify these photoluminescent systems? There are certainly practical issues that will have to be worked out, and probably can best be worked out through hands-on experience. The new CSI master spec (2004) has added Section for Photoluminescent Signs. But where do photoluminescent markings go or photoluminescent stair nosings? It is possible that various requirements will end up in Miscellaneous Metals or even Concrete. In order to pull these requirements together in our package, we will need look for them and ask for those sections if missing from specifications. With the basic information in hand, all of the photoluminescent products can be supplied as required hardware. Adding door signage and markings for door hardware and frames is easy. Compiling counts for demarcation lines, stair markings, stair nosings and signs at non-door locations will require procedures that are outof-the-ordinary including linear footage calculations and counting steps. But those procedures require no special expertise and will quickly become familiar. Actual experience over time may point to better alternatives to these preliminary approaches. The urgent need at present is to avoid letting another opportunity slip away as well as preventing further erosion of our life safety credentials. DHI continues to promote our role as the foremost life safety experts for door openings and related items. Putting muscle behind that claim requires taking the lead in educating ourselves, architects and endusers about code changes that affect life safety and our business. Let s be proactive about photoluminescence. We all stand to benefit. Head Back to School with Comsense Comsense Inc. E D U C A T I O N W i n t e r T r a i n i n g T o u r 2 Days of training for only $295 Choose either: Advantage Track or AHM Track Choose your city: Denver, CO January Louisville, KY February Boston, MA March Space is limited. Visit for more info and to register FREE ADVERTISER INFORMATION AT: JANUARY 2006 DOORS AND HARDWARE 31