Why integrate photoluminescent paint into your BCP?

Business continuity planning (BCP) has become a must in the industrial world. Faced with hazards such as power or IT cuts, fires, natural disasters or technical incidents, companies and organizations need to think ahead to ensure the protection of staff and the minimum continuation of their activities and operations.

One of the essential BCP features is safety signage. In the event of evacuation or disaster, every second counts. Employees in all departments need to be able to clearly identify evacuation routes and danger zones. But when lighting fails, conventional solutions quickly reach their limits.

This is where our LuminoKrom® photoluminescent paint comes in, a French innovation that offers night-time visibility for several hours, compared with just 2 hours for traditional luminous adhesive tape. Integrating such technology into a BCP considerably enhances the signage of industrial infrastructures and their users.

What is an industrial business continuity plan?

A business continuity plan is both an organizational and a technical measure designed to maintain a company's essential processes in the event of a major crisis. It is a genuine risk management tool, enabling disruptions to be anticipated and their impact on production, employees and all the organization's stakeholders to be reduced.

In an industrial environment, the challenge is not limited to protecting production lines: it also involves safeguarding personnel, protecting sensitive infrastructures and maintaining certain vital services (IT maintenance, confidential data, crisis management strategy, etc.). A well-designed BCP ensures that, even in the event of unforeseen events or disasters, essential operations can continue or restart as quickly as possible.

The BCP becomes a strategic pillar of the industrial company. It structures internal services, defines precise action plans and guarantees process continuity to protect both people and company performance.

What types of crisis require a BCP?

Drawing up a business continuity plan is not just for large companies: any organization can be faced with a major crisis that could interrupt its normal operations.

In the face of these multiple threats, the BCP acts as a genuine insurance policy: it defines the measures and strategies to be deployed to protect people, preserve facilities and continue processes deemed critical. Methodical anticipation helps reduce the impact of a crisis, reassure teams and maintain the confidence of partners and customers, even in severely degraded environments.

Industrial organizations are exposed to a wide range of risks that affect both infrastructure and staff:

• Sudden power failure: Among the most frequent scenarios are power failures, which can instantly plunge an industrial site into total darkness, making travel dangerous and creating team disorganization.
• Fire: High-risk disaster scenario requiring the rapid and orderly evacuation of all personnel in the various departments, and jeopardizing the company's continued operations.
• Technological or IT accidents, rendering certain areas dangerous or unusable, or compromising sensitive data. Risks of technological or human origin must also be taken into account: cyber-attacks, industrial accidents, critical supply disruptions.
• Natural disasters or catastrophes (floods, earthquakes, storms, heat waves) causing lasting disruption to business. Disasters linked to extreme weather conditions are also major sources of disruption.
• Health crises: As the recent pandemic reminded us, many companies had to review their protocols to ensure employee protection while maintaining a minimum level of productivity.

The importance of signage in a business continuity plan

Safety signage is one of the pillars of a BCP. Its mission is to :

• Guide people to emergency exits.
• Indicate dangerous or off-limits areas.
• Secure passageways (stairs, walkways, corridors).

Under normal conditions, signs, road markings and lighting perform this function. But in the event of a power cut, a major problem arises:

• Emergency lighting does not always cover all areas.
• Their autonomy is limited (often only 1 to 2 hours).
• Maintenance is costly and time-consuming.

It is therefore essential to adopt passive safety solutions, i.e. those that operate without the need for a power supply. Photoluminescence is the perfect answer to this challenge.

Luminescent adhesive strips

Adhesive strips are often chosen for their ease of installation. They can be quickly applied to walls, doors or stairs. However, they have several limitations:

• Their luminescence time is short, averaging 1 to 2 hours after exposure to a light source.
• They are sensitive to wear and tear, friction, chemicals and humidity, which accelerate delamination.
• They require regular replacement, which increases maintenance costs. In practice, they can be useful in low-traffic areas or for occasional use, but they quickly show their limits in a PCA.

LuminoKrom® photoluminescent paint

LuminoKrom® paint represents a durable, high-performance alternative. Applied directly to surfaces (floors, stairs, walls, metal structures), it becomes an integral part of the infrastructure. The benefits are many:

• Luminescence for up to 10 hours, depending on requirements, guaranteeing visibility throughout the night in the event of prolonged power failure.
• High mechanical resistance, suitable for demanding industrial environments (impact, heavy traffic, chemicals).
• Long-lasting durability: unlike tape, it doesn't peel off and requires little maintenance.
• A more reliable solution for a PCA, as it ensures constant signage, without rapid loss of efficiency.

   

In short, where adhesive tapes offer a temporary, fragile solution, photoluminescent paint is a structural, durable solution tailored to industrial needs.

Comparison of luminescent strips and photoluminescent paint

The benefits of LuminoKrom® in a business continuity plan

Adopting LuminoKrom® in a PCA means choosing an innovative, high-performance solution. Here are its main advantages:

Passive, autonomous safety

Photoluminescent paint works without electricity. It is naturally recharged by daylight or artificial lighting, and then releases this energy in the form of luminescence. In the event of a power cut, it remains immediately visible.

Prolonged visibility

With a luminescence of up to 10 hours, LuminoKrom® covers the entire duration of prolonged darkness. This guarantees continuous protection, even during prolonged events or major incidents.

Adaptability to any environment

Thanks to an extensive, versatile range, the paint can be applied to :

• Escape routes
• Metal staircases and walkways
• Sensitive storage areas
• Tunnels or technical rooms without windows

A sustainable, cost-effective solution

Unlike adhesives, which deteriorate, paint retains its properties over time. It therefore represents a profitable investment for manufacturers keen to reduce maintenance costs.

Making travel safer in an industrial environment at Lafarge Ciments

In September 2023, Lafarge Ciments called on LuminoKrom® to improve travel protection in its clinker production tower at Port-la-Nouvelle (11). The project involved applying photoluminescent marking to 8 levels, each with 3 floors, to ensure clear signage even in the event of a power failure or total darkness.

Practical implementation

• Areas covered: all evacuation routes in the tower, with the installation of directional arrows and pictograms. These indicators visibly guide operators to the exits on each floor.
• Duration & autonomy: the LuminoKrom® paint used restores between 6 and 10 hours of luminescence after luminous charging, with no energy consumption. This level of autonomy is essential in a multi-storey industrial environment, where a breakdown can last a long time.
• Enhanced safety: thanks to this photoluminescent beaconing, operators have reliable visual guidance during evacuation, even in complete darkness, which directly meets the requirements of an effective business continuity plan.

   

Compliance with industrial safety requirements

In addition to performance, the integration of LuminoKrom® is part of an approach to regulatory compliance.

Safety standards require manufacturers to :

• Provide clear, visible signage in all circumstances.
• Guarantee employee peace of mind during evacuations.
• Maintain minimum business continuity, even in the event of a power failure.

By adopting photoluminescent paint, companies not only anticipate crisis situations, but also demonstrate their social and environmental responsibility by opting for a sustainable, energy-saving solution.