Emergency lighting is defined as “the portion of emergency lighting provided to permit safe evacuation in the event of loss of normal service.” Standby lighting is defined as “the portion of emergency lighting intended to allow normal activity to continue in the event of a failure of the normal mains power supply.”
There are two types of emergency lighting.
(i) Emergency lighting. (ii) standby lighting
This guide also explains the important differences between emergency lighting and standby lighting.
The former is part of the building’s fire safety, and the latter is not (unless it meets the same equipment and installation requirements as the emergency lighting system). led pot lights Therefore, from a fire safety point of view, emergency lighting is the most important type of lighting.
Escape route lighting is part of an emergency lighting system that helps enable quick and safe evacuation of a building by indicating the location of escape routes such as corridors and atriums, as well as fire extinguishing equipment. led pot lights Safety equipment like a fire extinguisher and a key box with an emergency key at the exit door. Escape route lighting can therefore be considered a basic requirement for fire safety in public areas of all non-residential buildings and HMOs, regardless of their use and occupancy.
Large public buildings such as malls, museums, and exhibition halls attract significant numbers of visitors unfamiliar with the facility’s layout. As such, panic can occur when an emergency evacuation is triggered by a fire alarm ringing. led pot lights Open space/anti-panic lighting s relevant in such situations to identify escape routes and exits and guide people there.
High-risk task lighting is a special type of emergency lighting to ensure the safety of people involved in potentially hazardous processes or situations. It should be sufficient to be able to carry out the required switch-off process. led pot lights This type of lighting only applies to a limited number of scenarios.
The above distinctions highlight the role of emergency lighting in fire safety and how it is adapted and applied on a case-by-case basis depending on the specific use and occupancy level of a particular building and areas within it. It helps to
Where do you need emergency lighting?
Specifically, as described in the Government Fire Safety Risk Assessment publication.
An emergency lighting system should typically cover:
- any exit door
- escape route
- corridor crossing
- Evacuation routes before all last exits and outside
- escape sign
- Stairs to ensure there is enough light for each flight
- Change in ground elevation
- Windowless room and toilet accommodation topping
- Fire extinguishing equipment
- fire alarm panel
- Devices that need to be powered down in an emergency
- elevator
- Room area over 60m²
- You don’t need to have separate lights (luminaires) for each of the items above, but you need a good overall light level so they can be seen and used.
Government guidelines state that all emergency lighting systems should be tested regularly and properly maintained to reasonable standards. led pot lights This test has traditionally been done manually, but as mentioned earlier, emergency lighting fixtures have a self-test function.
Depending on the type of installation, trained personnel can perform most routine checks themselves. led pot lights Due to the different testing methods, some questions may arise.
In this case, it is advised to seek advice from the supplier or other competent person. A typical test is via a key switch near the main fuse panel or near the associated light switch. It is also called a “secret key” switch because it is designed to allow emergency lighting testing while preventing tampering with the test switch.