With American PERMALIGHT, there is always a reliable path to safety.
Being caught in the dark, in any situation, can be nerve-racking. Being caught in the dark in an emergency situation can be terrifying and potentially life-threatening.
American PERMALIGHT, Inc., Torrance, Calif., has been providing NON-electrical emergency lighting since 1988. PERMALIGHT specializes in photoluminescent safety products that are activated by ambient lighting and emit powerful luminance in the dark without electricity.
How does photoluminescent lighting work? The markings, which are non-radioactive, absorb ambient lighting like fluorescent, mercury vapor, metal halide, LED and sunlight coming through windows and emit their bright yellowish glow when all lights are out. The luminance declines over the hours to come but remains visible throughout the night to darkness-adapted eyes. When ambient lighting is available again, the PERMALIGHT markings recharge immediately. They maintain their re-charging and light-emitting capabilities for well over 25 years when properly used indoors.
In PERMALIGHT luminance quality control laboratories, researchers are working to keep the company’s safety lights up to code and standards.
In emergency situations like power failures, building fires with dense smoke and natural disasters like tornadoes, American PERMALIGHT strives to be the industry’s best path to safety. PERMALIGHT photoluminescent signs and luminous egress path markings help people find their way out of darkened office buildings and warehouses, college dormitories, hospitals, hotels, cars, vehicle tunnels, trains, ships, and mines among other spaces.
With American PERMALIGHT, there is always a reliable path to safety.
“We would like to say a photoluminescent sign is better than a sign printed on white plastic,” sales manager Jerry Garcia said.
In 2001, PERMALIGHT code-compliant EXIT signs became the first photoluminescent signs to earn a UL924-listing from Underwriters Laboratories. The company’s own strict ISO 9001-certified manufacturing process assures that only approved products of the highest quality leave the plant. For example, its photoluminescent MEA-listed markings for New York City clients have UV ratings for all four MEA numbers. All of its products adhere with industrial building and fire codes.
“We make products that meet all applicable U.S. Codes and standards,” Garcia said. “Our products have been approved, tested and certified. We manufacture leading edge safety products.”
In a business’ worst case safety scenario, the emergency evacuation of personnel, American PERMALIGHT tailors its products to suit a company’s specific lighting needs. The company’s extensive emergency evacuation product line uses photoluminescent raw materials, printable substrates, durable aluminum floor inserts that even resist forklift traffic, polycarbonate, PVC, polyester, metal and more.
One of PERMALIGHT’s most popular and impactful products is its wide-ranging line of foamy cushioning bumper guards. The brightly daylight-alerting fluorescent/contrast darkness glowing bumpers help avoid injuries from bumping into shelves or equipment. Based on the photoluminescent bumpers’ terrific success in material handling environments, PERMALIGHT’s bumper guard line now offers 15 different shapes of foam guards in yellow and contrast black. Buyers may choose from corner guards in flat and 90-degree angled shapes or from two shapes that perfectly fit onto I-beam shelves, all designed to cushion collisions on loading docks, in parking environments and anywhere where people or vehicles could bump into something, whether indoors or outdoors.
The company’s diverse catalog also includes photoluminescent metal stair nosing and anti-slip floor tapes and is designed to address and answer clients’ specific building lighting needs while staying within their budgets.
Call it budget-conscious safety lighting at its smartest. American PERMALIGHT delivers all this with often same-day shipping.
American PERMALIGHT’s product philosophy is based in the reality of the marketplace. “(We) offer customers the right product for their specific needs at a fair price,” Garcia said. Garcia stresses that compliances with industrial codes is essential to companies and private building management agencies ensuring the safety of their employees and occupants. A failure to comply with building safety codes and a faulty sprinkler system were cited as contributing factors in the tragic January 22 nursing home fire in L’Isle-Verte, Quebec, which left more than more than 30 people dead. “If only we were able to stop this thing from ever happening again, this type of thing,” Quebec Premier Pauline Marois told the Canadian Press.
“There are always incidents of fire tragedies that could be prevented,” Garcia said. “We hope that these kinds of incidents make officials aware of what safety solutions are available. What we would like to see is more adoption and enforcement of code and standards.”
“Enforcement of safety standards,” Garcia said, “increases life safety and we offer the matching product.”
American PERMALIGHT products meet all applicable safety codes and standards. And in an industry where attention to detail is essential to safety, American PERMALIGHT is taking every precaution and measure to ensure it lights a non-electrical path to safety for everyone relying on the company for help finding a way out of the dark.
Clete Campbell is a freelance journalist with 16 years of daily newspaper experience. E-mail [email protected] to contact Clete.
