NZBC F6 Compliance - Emergency Visibility
NZBC Clause F6 ‘Visibility in Escape Routes’ no longer demands emergency lighting, but requires that specified features such as steps, ramps, handrails, corridors and pathways are reasonably visible.
There are strict performance requirements stipulated to ensure Ecoglo F6 products meet all the building requirements of the NZ building code.
If you’re not sure if Ecoglo F6 products are right for your project, please read through the F6 FAQs, or work through the flowcharts below. If you still have questions, please contact us.
F6 Technical Documents
F6 Alternative Solution Flow Chart (Group B)
How to check if Ecoglo photoluminescent markings will meet F6 with an alternative solution in Risk Group B Buildings.
F6 Alternative Solution Flow Chart (Group C)
How to check if Ecoglo photoluminescent markings will meet F6 with an alternative solution in Risk Group C Buildings.
Designers Handbook for Ecoglo Markings
This handbook provides guidance for designing systems using Ecoglo photoluminescent markings to meet the requirements of NZBC Clause F6 ‘Visibility in Escape Routes’.
Technical Justification for Ecoglo Markings
This report provides the technical justification for the product performance specification and design of Ecoglo photoluminescent markings to meet the requirements of NZBC Clause F6 ‘Visibility in Escape Routes’.
F6 Specifiers Checklist
This checklist is for Architects, Fire Engineers, Electrical Engineers, or other professional specifiers who wish to use Ecoglo escape route markings in an Alternative Solution. It shows what information is needed in an Alternative Solution.
FAQs
The cost varies as it can be dependent on several different factors, such as number of steps, length of pathway, whether or not you are already installing step nosing for example – a factor which may reduce your overall costs. In the majority of situations the cost is substantially less than the alternative option (electrical emergency lighting).
No, they are designed to utilise the existing light in the building, be it daylight or electrical. Outdoors, daylight is sufficient to ensure they will work 24/7.
A minimum of 30 years when installed indoors before there would be any measurable change in performance, and 15 – 30 years outdoors.
Make sure they are cleaned of dust or dirt build up. Ecoglo recommends a 6-monthly check to meet the building’s Compliance Schedule requirements, to enable annual sign-off for the Building’s Warrant of Fitness (BWOF).
Ecoglo F6 products are designed to work in most normal lighting situations. Ecoglo’s professional engineer can, in many circumstances, design an alternative solution to meet F6. This service is provided free of charge for the first 2 hours (normally sufficient to complete most small to medium projects.) Contact us for details.
1 Eg stairs, ramps, escape doors, handrails, changes in direction
2 Almost all buildings with less than 1000 occupants are Risk Group C
3 A building with over 1000 occupants and whose occupants are not required to remain in the building during an emergency
No. Ecoglo photoluminescent products will, in most situations, achieve full operational charge in well under 5 minutes because of residual charge left in them from previous use.
In most cases Ecoglo products will have sufficient residual charge from when there was light on them before, but even if the product has become fully discharged and someone enters a dark space and turns on a light, Ecoglo F6 products will meet the F6 brightness requirement for a longer evacuation time than the time since the light was turned on. By the time 5 minutes has elapsed the products will have the full 30 minutes charge required for Risk Group C buildings and the full 90 minutes required for Risk Group B buildings.
They have no moving parts or components that will need replacing. As long as they are installed where there are normal indoor light levels, and they are kept reasonably clean, and not physically damaged, they will be visible in an emergency for the time required by F8 and F6 for at least 30 years.
They are designed and manufactured in Christchurch using a unique process that was developed locally over twenty years ago.
Ecoglo F6 products can be used anywhere they can be sufficiently charged when someone may need to use them. Our products are in use throughout New Zealand and overseas in hospitals, educational facilities, apartment blocks, office blocks, hotels, retail spaces, factories, warehouses, theatres, sports stadiums and many other types of building. Contact Ecoglo for more details.
We recommend that a qualified building trades-person installs them in accordance with the Ecoglo installation instructions. The installer will need to complete the Ecoglo PS3 form (available for download from the Installation Instructions section under Technical on the website) to confirm that the installation has been carried out in accordance with Ecoglo instructions.
They are made in New Zealand in a factory that uses electricity (from a supplier committed to sustainable electricity production) as its only energy source. The factory creates no commercial liquid effluent, and negligible air emissions. The products have no replaceable parts which would need to be disposed of, and no cadmium, mercury or radioactive material. They normally don’t require any electricity to be used to keep them charged. They have an extremely long life, and if for any reason they need to be disposed of, they can be included with other aluminium products for aluminium recycling.
Yes, our F6 products are designed to meet the rigours of long term outdoor exposure in our harsh Southern Hemisphere environment. No matter what the weather, the requirements of F6 are met 24/7 when installed outdoors.
