Emergency lighting is a critical component of building safety, ensuring that occupants can safely evacuate in case of an emergency. There are statutory requirements for building owners to provide suitable lighting systems to protect building users and ensure that, in the event of an emergency, they are properly directed towards a suitable escape route.
The core principle of emergency lighting system design is to improve building safety. Helping people navigate through spaces in difficult situations requires that sufficient light is provided and that exits and routes through the building are clearly visible.
Fitting placement is as paramount as its function, with choices being made to provide the most appropriate additional lighting, whether ceiling, recessed, floor, or wall-mounted luminaires.
Emergency exit lighting should be strategically placed to illuminate escape routes, exits, and high-risk areas. According to the BS 5266-1: Emergency Lighting Code of Practice, the following areas should be covered:
These include corridors, staircases, and passageways leading to exits. Lighting should be continuous and unobstructed to guide occupants to safety.
All exit doors and emergency exits should be clearly marked and illuminated.
Areas such as changes in floor level such as steps, changes in direction, and fire equipment locations should be highlighted so that building users are able to navigate them safely.
The BS 5266-1 Code of Practice provides comprehensive guidelines for the installation, testing, and maintenance of emergency lighting systems, which must be adhered to in both the design and management of the system for its lifetime:
It is essential that emergency lighting in an office is reliable, and as such, a clear plan for testing and maintenance is mandatory to ensure functionality.
The lighting system should be inspected monthly, and after commissioning, there should be an annual three-hour duration test. Detailed records of tests and any issues or repairs must be kept on site for auditing and insurance purposes.
Using a smart lighting control solution such as Organic Response, automates emergency testing and fault finding in addition to providing complete reporting of system status to maintain the safety of the building.
A key choice when designing the emergency lighting system for an office is the power source.
Emergency lighting systems can be powered by either individual batteries in each unit, or from a central battery to ensure that they do not rely on mains electricity in the event of an emergency.
Battery-powered systems are independent of the building's main power supply and are essential for ensuring lighting during power outages. They typically include backup batteries that can last for a minimum of 1-3 hours and are charged through the mains electricity.
The use of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries provides several advantages when compared to older NiCd and NiMH batteries. The primary benefit of LiFePO4 is safety. The batteries have excellent thermal stability when compared to conventional Lithium-Ion batteries, and as such has a lower risk of failure in higher temperatures. In addition to their stability, LiFePO4 batteries have a longer lifespan than nickel-based batteries, capable of more than 5,000 charging cycles, and are accepted into recycling at the end of their useful life.
Read more about LiFePO4 batteries.
The importance of emergency lighting cannot be understated when planning the lighting system for an office, and it is essential to have support to ensure that the system meets the needs of users. Contact a member of our team today for help and advice to ensure that your staff are kept safe in the event of an emergency.
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