Does Your Building have Adequate Emergency Lighting and Exit Signs?

Does Your Building have Adequate Emergency Lighting and Exit Signs?

When owning an apartment building, it is essential that you have all safety precautions in place for the tenants who live within the property. As a rental property owner, it is up to you to learn more about Chicago fire safety and ensure your building is meeting all fire safety codes for the area. One category in which buildings can be lacking is emergency lighting and exit signs. Such features need to be in place so that residents know what to do and can see where to go in the case of a power outage, a fire or other emergency.

Apartment and condo buildings in Chicago can be multiple stories high. When a fire occurs, every resident needs to be alerted in a quick manner and be able to easily find the exits. Elevators should be avoided during a fire, so proper exit points to stairways need to be highlighted. Does your apartment building meet the OSHA requirement and NFPA Life Safety Code requirements? By learning more, you can ensure that your building is prepared in case of a fire.

Emergency Lighting

When a fire or other incident occurs in an apartment building, the power may go out. If the building loses power, tenants need to be able to see clearly to exit the premises. With Chicago fire safety rules, emergency lighting units should be provided so that the area is illuminated if there is a power loss. The lighting units will automatically turn on as they detect the loss of power.

Headlamps associated with emergency lighting operate via battery power. Once turned on, they provide the much-needed lighting in a space that would otherwise be black as night. The headlamps will operate via battery power and ensure that there will be lighting if the building loses power.

Emergency lighting should be strategically placed throughout the apartment building in areas where tenants will be exiting. The lighting is essential to the evacuation of the building in case of a power outage and should be placed near exits.

Exit/Stairs Signage

Tenants also need to be aware of the exit areas in the building in case of a power outage or the need to exit the building via the stairs. Directional information involving the exits as well as stairs need to be clearly illuminated so they can be a beacon to tenants who may be panicking due to a fire or other need to exit.

With the proper illumination, tenants will find the exits quickly and be able to leave the home. Exit and Stairs signs should be illuminated at all times with internal light bulbs. If the power is working, the lighting in the signs automatically is on. If the power were to go out, such signs have an internal backup battery that helps to keep the sign lit up.

Overall, it is important to have all exit signs and emergency lighting in place to protect tenants when a fire or other emergency occurs. As a property owner, be sure to take the time to review such signs and lighting, ensuring it is in proper working order to meet fire safety codes.