Overview
Imagine if a high-rise building experiences a power outage during an emergency fire. Smoke is rising, the lights have been extinguished, and some hundred people are making their way to the stairs. From that moment on, a stairwell can either be an avenue of escape or a choke point, depending on the signs on the wall. If there's a missing stairwell identification placard, your Certificate of Occupancy could be hung up in the process. We see it a lot. Our custom ADA-compliant signs are used for daily room access, but stairway signs must also comply with life-safety fire codes.
The Core Regulations: IBC Section 1023.9 & NFPA 101 Mandates
Fire marshals and building inspectors work from a short list of code sections. If you know them, most surprises will vanish before the walkthrough.
IBC Section 1023.9 (Interior Exit Stairway Identification)
This section applies to interior exit stairways and ramps connecting more than three stories. Each stair must have a sign indicating the name of the stair ("STAIR A"), the floor level, the landing at the top and bottom of the stair, and whether or not the stair goes to the roof.
IBC Section 1025 & NFPA 101 (Luminous Egress Path Markings)
In high-rise buildings, with occupied floors more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, the codes call for luminous egress path markings. This includes continuous low-level photoluminescent tape, step edge markers, handrail markers, and outlines around the emergency door hardware. The requirement is up to occupancy groups A, B, E, I, M, and R-1.
NFPA 170 Standard for Fire Safety Symbols
NFPA 170 specifies the graphics to be used for fire alarm pull stations, standpipe hose connections, and areas of refuge. Those symbols enable a person who has never been in your building to accurately read your signs.
Anatomy of a Code-Compliant Stairwell Sign
All floor landing placards must contain the same information and, importantly, be displayed in a way that allows the information to be read easily in a low-light environment.
Mandatory Data Stack
- Stairwell Designation: Placed at the top of the sign, for example, "STAIRWAY B."
- Floor Level Number: The main numeral is at least 5 inches tall and centered on the sign.
- Terminus Declarations: The sign states the top and bottom levels the stair serves, such as "LEVELS 1 THROUGH 12."
- Discharge Level Indicator: It marks the story where occupants leave the building for the public way or exterior discharge, for example, "EXIT AT LEVEL 1."
- Roof Access Status: The sign says either "ROOF ACCESS" or "NO ROOF ACCESS." Nothing else works.
Tactile & Braille Overlay Requirements
The stair designation and floor number should be raised lettered and Grade 2 contracted Braille, 1/32 inch in height. These may be inserted in the main placard, or attached to a companion plaque on the latch side of the door.
Our tactile ADA stairwell signs are a great option for teams dealing with the interior package. They are designed to ensure that your high-rise building passes its first ‘Municipal Fire Marshal Audit '.
Photoluminescent (Glow-in-the-Dark) Standards: UL 1994 & ASTM E2072
Electrical emergency lighting can go bad. Photoluminescent systems are the secondary power source that is not circuit-dependent.
Zero-Power Reliability
High-grade zinc sulfide (ZnS) or strontium aluminate (SrAl2O4) substrates absorb light in the environment and slowly emit it. Once the building is fully dark, they can continue to glow for a minimum of 90 minutes.
Charging Light Requirements
This material will only glow if it is charged. Estimate that the building will need approximately 1–5 foot-candles of fluorescent or LED light when people are in the room. Staircases that are not well lit, or are motion-powered and off for extended periods, can be underpowered.
Perimeter Step & Handrail Strips
Continuous non-slip lines (photoluminescent) are applied to the leading edge of each stair tread, around the perimeter of the landing and on the door frames entering the exit discharge. They draw the path together, so that people can find the path by sight even when reading the signs is difficult.
Mounting Elevation & Placement Rules Inside Stairwells
A perfect sign in the wrong place on the wall doesn't work. General contractors most commonly get it wrong when it comes to field placement.
The 5-Foot Centerline Standard
The identification sign for a stairwell must be placed inside the stairwell on the latch side of the door, and the middle of the sign should be at a height of approximately 5 feet (60 inches) above the finished floor of the landing.
Tactile Companion Plaques (Exit Signs)
On the corridor side, signs are placed at standard ADA heights and are marked “EXIT” or “STAIR.” The lowest tactile character is not lower than 48 inches from the floor and the highest not more than 60 inches from the floor.
Clear Floor Space & Sightlines
Do not have anything blocking any placard. A sign can be hidden behind an open door leaf, a run of pipe, or a fire hose cabinet, all of which a fire inspector will look for. Walk the approach before drilling, opening the door wide.
Salt Lake City, Sandy, and Provo inspectors all use their respective fire departments, and the specifics of what they mark may differ. Most of them head directly to the same products: roof access wording, tactile content, mounting height, and clear sight lines.
It also encourages you to consider egress markers in the context of the wider picture. Fold them into architectural wayfinding signage systems that guide people safely along commercial corridors.
Areas of Refuge & Evacuation Floor Maps
Not everyone can use stairs in an emergency, and the signage needs to reflect this.
Areas of Refuge / Rescue Assistance Signage
Tactile and illuminated signs should be placed next to the stairwells in waiting areas to assist persons with disabilities in locating the waiting area for stairs and the persons waiting for them to be located. Instruction signs are also required for 2-way emergency communication systems, both tactile text and Braille.
Evacuation Route Maps (Life-Safety Graphics)
Framed floor plans are located in the vicinity of elevator banks and in public corridors. They should be non-glare and indicate primary and secondary egress routes, extinguisher stations, and manual pull stations. Mounted and readable maps are utilized.
If you are matching these maps with finishes, look at our commercial interior facility signage packages and ensure that the framed plans are in keeping with the rest of the facility.
Frequently Asked Questions About Utah Egress & Stairwell Signage
Does every commercial building in Utah require photoluminescent stairwell signs?
No, only high-rise buildings (those with occupied floors more than 75 feet above fire department access) do require exit path marking systems that use photoluminescence. Standard tactile stairwell and exit identification signs are for smaller buildings, typically three stories or less.
What happens if an egress sign does not indicate roof access?
One of the top reasons for an inspection failure. The first responders must be immediately aware of whether a stairwell goes up to the roof or is a dead end. Omit "ROOF ACCESS" or "NO ROOF ACCESS," and you risk a failed life-safety inspection.
Can we use painted stencils instead of fabricated signs inside stairwells?
Some jurisdictions will accept the use of painted numerals for secondary information. They cannot replace this, of course. Painted stencils alone do not meet the identification requirement at each floor level, where tactile lettering and Grade 2 Braille with raised characters at 1/32 inch are required.
How long do UL 1994 photoluminescent egress materials last?
Strontium aluminate pigments are chemically stable and do not fade as printed inks do. Clean and set up the correct charging light, and it will last for years without needing to replace the light or maintain the wiring.
Code-Certify Your Stairwells with Visibility Signs
Don't let an egress violation hold up your Certificate of Occupancy. We manufacture UL 1994 photoluminescent markers, Grade 2 Braille and tactile stairwell signs, and install them throughout Salt Lake County and Utah County. It's a straightforward procedure:
- Submit your architectural staircase information, number of stairs, and door schedules.
- We do a complete IBC and NFPA egress takeoff.
- We produce and install photoluminescent and tactile signage systems based on the approved project requirements and sign schedule.
Ready to talk? Please give us a call at (801) 212-9987, or click the button below to Schedule an Egress Blueprint Review & Quote.
Life safety/egress signs and emergency egress signs are supplied and installed in Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper, Lehi, American Fork, Orem, and Provo.