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Exit Signs

Why does the building code insist on putting exit signs on the ceilings in a building? If a building is on fire, won’t the smoke rise to the ceiling and obscure the sign?

I mean, even the airlines — stupid as they are — have figured this out. The exit lighting in a plane is on the floor – where the oxygen is and where any survivors smart enough to get down will see it.

On the other hand, planes don’t always remain “this end up” during a crash. Thus, its possible that the exit lighting may wind up on the ceiling after all.

Buildings rarely flip their orientation, however. So why are the signs on the ceiling?

The rules of fire safety tell you to get on the floor if you’re in a fire. If exit signs made any sense, they’d be down there, too.