Emergency Lighting, Exit Signs & Fire Doors
The unglamorous parts of a building that decide whether people find the way out.
Emergency lights, exit signs and fire doors are passive, cheap per unit and routinely neglected. Exit signs differ between the two countries: Canada's building code has required the green running-man pictogram in new construction since 2010, while most US jurisdictions still use red or green EXIT wording. Fire doors and the closers, latches and hold-open devices on them are part of a rated assembly, and a wedge under one breaks it. These are bought through electrical wholesalers, door-hardware suppliers and fire equipment companies, and inspected on a fixed schedule.
Systems and products
2 guides · price bands $ to $$$$
Emergency Lighting and Exit Signs (incl. Photoluminescent)
Battery-backed lights illuminate exit paths when the power fails, and exit signs mark the way out. Photoluminescent signs glow without any power after being charged by ambient light.
Fire Doors, Closers and Magnetic Hold-Open Devices
Rated doors with self-closers stop fire and smoke spreading through a building. Magnetic or closer-integrated hold-opens let those doors stay open in daily use and release them when the alarm goes off.
Before you buy
- Test emergency lighting monthly and do a full-duration test annually. Batteries are the usual failure.
- Buy the sign your jurisdiction requires. A red EXIT sign is non-compliant in new Canadian construction.
- Never wedge a fire door open. If it needs to stay open, fit a listed hold-open device that releases on alarm.
- Fire door assemblies are inspected annually under NFPA 80. Damaged closers, missing latches and added hardware are the usual failures.