How to Detect Radioactive Exit Signs

When you purchase a commercial or public building, chances are there were already lighting solutions in place for certain aspects such as exit signs. Whether you just purchased a building for your business or you are looking to examine older fixtures for safety concerns, here are a few tips on how to detect radioactive exit signs and what to do about them.

1. Know why it matters

Radioactive exit signs were once the main type of exit signs available on the market. The use of tritium in the manufacturing process wasn’t uncommon in previous decades and this one element instantly makes the light fixture considered radioactive. While the radioactive levels tend to be relatively low enough to avoid being immediately hazardous for most people briefly exposed to the light, removing it will make your building greener which may be important to your customer base. There is also a potential for tampering with the fixture which may lead to elevated safety concerns for staff and customers, so it is best to just remove them from the location.

2. Look for the signs

Radioactive signs are actually really easy to spot since they are required by law to carry a visual warning of the use of radioactive material within the design or operation. For example, many exit signs with radioactive materials will bear a sticker that says so which makes it easy to spot them. If you can’t find the sticker, another give away that the exit sign is radioactive is that it isn’t plugged into an electrical source because radioactive signs can produce the light without it.

3. Remove them the right way

Once you have determined you have radioactive exit signs, you need to take great care to remove them. You should never tamper with a radioactive fixture on your own since it can lead to exposure or accidents. The best bet is to bring in professional contractors to remove the fixtures for you to ensure safety and proper disposal. This type of fixture should never be just casually thrown in the dumpsters since it is dangerous. Radioactive fixtures of any type should be returned to the manufacturer to ensure they are properly disposed of without any health hazards.