Floor_Marking_Guide_-_Creative_Safety_Supply April 2014 | Page 29

Glow in the Dark Floor Marking
Photoluminescent (Glow in the Dark) Technology has seen a dramatic increase in its
use in commercial and industrial facilities. In some regions it is a legal requirement.
Why? These materials allow for clearly marked egress pathways in the event of power
outages or smoky conditions.
Phosphorescent tape is a type of photo-luminescent tape which absorbs energy from
a light source during normal operating situations, then releases that energy as ‘glow’
when the light source is removed. The ‘glow’ provided, while not sufficient to illuminate
an area, will make paths and doors visible if the lights go out.
Largely as the result of a report indicating that glow-in-the-dark markings in the World
Trade Center buildings played a crucial role in leading survivors to safety, in 2004, New
York City approved building code law making phosphorescent markings mandatory at
exit doors and in emergency exit stairwells of commercial high-rise buildings over 75
feet.
New York’s initiative has been adopted as a model for other cities and organizations across
the country, including the California Building Code (CABC), the International Code
Council (ICC), the State of Connecticut, and the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA).

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