Adaptive evacuation

Better recognition of escape routes

Did you know that only 38% of people see conventional exit signs during an evacuation from an unfamiliar environment/building?

The evacuation of commercial buildings can be inhibited by people’s failure to recognise standard emergency exit signs.

Research has shown that only 38% of people see conventional exit signs during an evacuation from an unfamiliar environment. Much of this is down to the proliferation of branding, advertising and informational signage in buildings such as shopping centers and airports which can distract attention away from exit signs.

To improve the visibility of signs, Eaton has introduced a new technology into its emergency lighting range called Increased Affordance. With Increased Affordance capability added to our emergency lighting it enables exit signs to flash or pulse (see video below) during an emergency evacuation making them much more visbile to occupants of buildings during an emergency situation.

Improving the recognition of escape routes

The Increased Affordance (IA) function enables illuminated exit signs to flash or pulse, which makes them more visible and could therefore speed up the process of evacuation.

The technology is designed to support safer and faster evacuations by overcoming the delays that can arise when occupants struggle to identify exit routes indicated by conventional signs.

Traditional evacuation of a building without increased affordance

In an evacuation situation, occupants may become confused or inclined to return to the point where they entered the building, which can lead to overcrowding, congestion and delayed evacuation.

Occupants may go to the exit they came in
Crowding and congestion may slow evacuation
Occupants may spend time trying to locate an exit
Evacuation takes longer

Evacuation of buildings with increased affordance

In their normal mode, the luminaires offer excellent visibility thanks to a high level of luminance that exceeds the minimum requirement in most countries.

When activated, increased affordance enables even better recognition by flashing or pulsing but never dipping below the minimum level of luminance that is established in industry standards, thus achieving full compliance.

Provides a catalyst for less congested exit routes
Aids people with hearing difficulties
Ensures that users understand the importance of the emergency
Fully compliant

Watch how it works in action

The time taken to evacuate a commercial building in an emergency can have a critical impact on the safety of occupants. Every second counts. By improving people’s ability to identify exit signs, they are able to respond more quickly and reach a safe place with a minimum of delay.

Jean-Luc Scheer, Product Line Manager at Eaton

Adaptive evacuation signage

Choose safer, quicker evacuation of your building with superior escape route management technology.

Learn more

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to improving the quality of life and protecting the environment for people everywhere. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re accelerating the planet’s transition to renewable energy and helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges.