Adaptive evacuation exit signage ensures student safety for Northampton College
The Eaton escape sign luminaire with Matrix technology works seamlessly with the existing addressable fire panel system to change its signage in response to a local alarm. For such a large building housing so many students and staff, having an adaptable system that can alert people to where the danger is and direct them to safety is essential.
Northampton College is the leading provider of further education in the South East Midlands, UK.
It offers a broad range of full and part time courses, apprenticeships and higher education to 9,000 students across three sites. Its largest site, in Booth Lane, Northampton has almost 4,500 students. This campus consists of eight large blocks, each with up to three floors, all of which are interconnecting into one huge building complex.
With student safety a top priority, the college must ensure students and staff can safely exit the building without putting themselves in any danger in the case of an emergency evacuation, such as a fire.
The existing signage luminaires were old, and they could no longer source spare parts for them when required. They also relied on their emergency batteries for illumination if it switched its signage – something that legislation no longer allows. This meant that the college had to find modern escape signage luminaires that they could retrofit onto the existing system and still offer the same or improved functionality. Additionally, all of these requirements had to be completed during the three weeks holiday when there was no one on site.
The college can use the new signs to either direct people to a safe exit route or block an unsafe route.
Thorn Electrical installed 45 of the new Eaton Matrix escape sign luminaires throughout the campus in each of the eight zones. Using the existing twisted pair cabling and power mains from the old signage, the company fitted and fully tested all the luminaires in the short time frame available.
The result is a safer and brighter escape sign luminaire that can change its signage according to the situation and provide a safe route for all on site in the case of an emergency. Additionally, there will now be less energy consumed, and far less maintenance than what was required by the old system.
Matrix CGLine+ - Self-contained adaptive exit sign
The Matrix CGLine+ is an adaptive escape sign luminaire that enables real-time adjustment of exit routes according to the nature and location of a hazard. Matrix CGLine+ can adjust the direction of the arrow it displays, with the aim of improving the speed and safety of emergency evacuations in commercial buildings.
