You know those stars that you often find on children’s bedroom ceilings? The ones which glow in the dark?
Maybe you had them when you were young, or perhaps your child has them now.
Well, they are Photoluminescent. And the materials with those properties is an important tool in fire safety.
So What Does It Mean?
‘Luminescent’ describes a material which emits light and glows. ‘Photo’ often means light, such as in the word ‘photograph’, which means the recording of light.
So simply put, ‘photoluminescent’ refers to something which absorbs light energy and releases that energy in the form of light.
The light which provides the energy can come from any source, be it from sunlight or fluorescent lighting. It means that when the lights go off suddenly, the material will glow.
Although it does vary, you can expect it to glow in the dark for between 6 and 10 hours.
The material glows bright, even from a distance, and provides a good contrast to make writing easy to see.
What Is It Used For?
Its use goes beyond helping children to sleep at night.
Photoluminescent is perfect for making signs stand out, especially should the power fail. They provide an effective, bright contrast for text and graphical symbols so that safety messages are quickly recognised.
It means that whatever happens, people can still use the fire safety signs to help them evacuate in a quick and safe manner.
It is possible to get all different types of photoluminescent fire safety signs, meaning they’re effective for every situation. Although not all fire safety signs use a photoluminescent material, a lot of them do.
You can also get paint with photoluminescent properties, which makes it work in the same way.
This could allow you paint lines down corridors that would lead people to a fire exit. Another possible use is to warn others of steps or to make a pillar stand out to stop people tripping over them at night.
So purchasing photoluminescent fire safety signs allows you optimise safety without an extra cost.
And they are still designed to be durable and hard-wearing, so they are ideal for use both indoors and out.