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Audible exit sign aids evacuation |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 19 April 2007 |
One
of the biggest challenges when an emergency arises is how to make sure
all employees are quickly and safely evacuated from the workplace. When
the facility is large or spread out, the biggest issue may be ensuring
that everyone even knows there is an emergency, and where the exits are
located. One solution is the ONYX ExitPoint, developed by NOTIFIER, a
Northford, Connecticut manufacturer of commercial fire alarm technology
and life safety systems.
ONYX ExitPoint is a compact speaker
that produces broadband noise. It is installed near building exits or
along egress routes, acting as an audible Exit sign. ExitPoint is
triggered by the building’s fire alarm control panel, alerting building
occupants to the location of the nearest exit using directional sound –
a new technology in fire safety.
Currently all types of exit
marking such as emergency lighting, signage, and photo luminescent
guidance strips are visual in nature. However, visual aids can easily
be obstructed by smoke and can be difficult to find in crowded areas
such as airports and shopping malls. Visual markings are also passive:
people have to find them and the markers do nothing to actively assist
evacuation.
ExitPoint offers “interactive guidance” as it
generates noise at all frequencies across the human hearing range. The
source of broadband, directional sound is easily located by the human
ear. The varying tones and intensities provide distinctive directional
cues and do not conflict with traditional notification devices such as
horns or bells.
ExitPoint emits four different sound pulse
patterns to create and egress pathway out of a building and to mark
perimeter exits, defining an immediate escape route even when
visibility is impaired. Additional pulse patterns can be added to alert
building occupants that they are approaching a stairway and need to
proceed either up or down. For more information, visit
www.notifier.com.
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