The primary function of emergency lighting would be to illuminate escape routes but it also illuminates other safety equipment. Emergency escape lighting is activated if the electricity supply to the regular workplace lighting fails or when an automatic fire alarm is triggered. It really is designed to illuminate the fire escape routes to enable them to be safely used in the event of as failure of the main lighting system.
The size and type of your premises will determine the sophistication of the emergency lighting system demanded. Borrowed lighting could be acceptable in small premises where the light is from a dependable source eg street lamps. Where borrowed light is perhaps not acceptable, then the quantity of torches in strategic positions can be considered. Single stand-alone escape lighting units may be adequate in small premises and the can be joined with way out or directional signs.
In larger more elaborate premises a more comprehensive system of fixed automatic escape lighting is likely to be desired. This will be particularly true in premises with extensive basements or where significant numbers of staff or members of the people.
An emergency escape lighting system should generally cover the following:
* Each exit door
* Escape routes
* Intersections of corridors
* Outside each final exit and on external escape routes
* Emergency escape signs
* Changes in floor levels
* Fire fighting equipment
* Fire alarm call points
* Equipment that would need to be shut down in the event of an emergency
It really is perhaps not necessary to provide individual lights for each item above but they should be adequate overall light to allow them to be visible.
Emergency escape lighting can be both preserved eg on all the time or non-maintained eg only operates if the normal lighting fails. Systems or individual lighting units (luminaries) are made to operate for durations of between one and three hours. In practice, the three-hour design is the most popular and can assist with maintaining limited continued use of the premises within a power failure.
If your choice is made to put in emergency escape lighting fixture, or alter an existing system, any work must be completed with the appropriate standards.
All emergency escape lighting systems must be regularly examined and correctly maintained. Most systems will need to be manually examined yet some modern systems have self-testing facilities that reduce routine checks to the absolute minimum. In most cases with manual testing, routine tests may be carried out by a single person.
For advise and more information on emergency lighting visit us at http://www.emergency-lighting-direct.co.uk/
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