Canada Olympic Park takes the step towards better safety with sustainable way-finding.
WinSport Canada is a non-profit organization that owns and operates world class winter sport environments and facilities located in Southern Alberta. These facilities include; Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, the Bill Warren Training Centre at the Canmore Nordic Centre in Canmore Alberta, and the Beckie Scott High Performance Training Centre on Haig Glacier Alberta. WinSport also funds two-thirds of the operating budget for the Olympic Oval at the University of Calgary.
Like most facilities that strive to use best building practices, WinSport was faced with safety and guidance issues for their main arena at Canada Olympic Park in the CODA Athletic and Ice Complex. The issue was raised when they wanted their main arena that seats about 2,940 people to become a venue for concerts and events that required reduced lighting levels in. In order for them to provide adequate safety, they needed lighting on their stairs to provide the necessary way-finding for occupants during these events. WinSport recently contracted Accu-Flo Meter Service to provide Ecoglo photoluminescent contrast stripping in order to solve the problem. Photoluminescent material is a sustainable alternative to egress marking that is powered through a physical reaction that absorbs any source of ambient light. Then, when the lights go out, the material slowly releases this energy as a visible light source.
Using Ecoglo’s E20 photoluminescent contrast strip, WinSport was able to save thousands of dollars, by eliminating the electrical requirements for the conventional alternative such as stair lighting, spot lights, etc. Along with the photoluminescent strip that is integrally bonded to the aluminum base, Ecoglo’s contrast strips are also comprised of an exceptionally hard wearing silicon-carbide non-slip strip. This strip is also colored, so that it also provides an even higher contrast level on the stair edge than is required by code. This not only helps to increase building safety by improving way-finding, but it also reduces one of the largest leading injuries –slips and falls by providing slip resistance that lasts the life of the facility.
Since Ecoglo’s photoluminescent material operates on a physical reaction, the material will never fail or degrade over time. This means the strip provides the venue with a high-contrast step edge regardless of the lighting condition, while also reducing slips and falls from wet footwear and offering a fail-safe lighting source which, in an event of an emergency where smoke could be present, provide an illumination below the smoke level to safely guiding occupants. Since Accu-Flo also provided the certified installation, WinSport receives not only a maintenance-free guidance solution, but a 20-year manufacturer warranty. Over this time and many more years, they will continue to save thousands of more dollars on maintenance and operating due to the multiple benefits they receive from Ecoglo’s products.
The safer, sustainable and cost-effective solution
Ecoglo photoluminescent exit signs are charged by any ambient light, whether it be a natural or artificial source such as LED, HPS, incandescent etc… When the lights go out, they slowly release the energy they have stored providing an internal illumination that can be seen for up to a day after.
Photoluminescent exit signs have been a part of Canada’s National Building Code since 2010. This National Building Code has since been adopted at the provincial level all across Canada. Under the new code, photoluminescent exit signs must be certified to the ULC572 standard. Within the testing of the standard, each sign must be legible at the required distance rating after being in the dark for a two hour period. This is different from the CSA standard for electrical exit signs, which only tests the optical brightness of the sign before the 2 hour period –inherently making the ULC572 standard even more stringent. Photoluminescent exit signs are non-toxic, non-radioactive, non-electrical and non-mechanical. Since they operate on a physical reaction, they are fail-safe, when the lights go out, they always glow.
Accu-Flo Meter Service, the local Calgary stocking dealer for Ecoglo, has been improving building safety all over Alberta by providing fail-safe, sustainable exit signs which don’t require power consumption or maintenance.
Since the 2010 National Building Code was adopted, Accu-Flo has been providing photoluminescent exit signs -saving their customers a significant amount of capital, which would otherwise be required by their electrical counter-parts. Not only do Ecoglo exit signs come with a 25-year manufacturer warranty, they also are rated to last 35+ years and never lose their performance over time. This allows building owners to eliminate all the maintenance associated with their exit signs, such as replacement bulbs, batteries and even the routine testing of the back-up power, providing these continuous cost savings over the life of the facility. For new construction, Ecoglo exit signs instantly pay for themselves by eliminating the associated wire and conduit which would otherwise be needed for electrical exit signs.
Accu-Flo Meter Service is the local dealer for Ecoglo – a world leader in photoluminescent step edge, path finding, handrail and exit sign products for both outdoors and indoors.
For more information, contact Accu-Flo Meter Service, or e-mail: [email protected]
