Emergency Lighting Installation

The three types of emergency lighting

• Escape route lighting — illuminates corridors, stairways and exits so people can leave safely.
• Open area (anti-panic) lighting — used in larger open spaces to prevent panic and help people find the escape routes.
• High-risk task area lighting — where a dangerous process needs to be shut down safely before evacuation.

Light levels the standard expects

• Escape routes — a minimum of 1 lux at floor level along the route.
• Open areas — a minimum of 0.5 lux at floor level.
• High-risk task areas — at least 15 lux, or 10% of the normal lighting level, whichever is higher.
• Points of emphasis — call points, exit doors, firefighting equipment and first aid points need higher illumination so they can be found in an emergency.

Escape route and open-area luminaires must reach full output within 5 seconds of the supply failing; high-risk task lighting within 0.5 seconds. Borrowed light from adjacent areas cannot be relied on to meet these figures.

How long it must last

Most premises require a 3-hour duration. A 1-hour system is only acceptable where the building is evacuated immediately on a supply failure and will not be reoccupied until the batteries have fully recharged — which rules it out for the majority of buildings. Three hours is now widely treated as best practice, and is required where there is sleeping accommodation, phased evacuation, or any prospect of early reoccupation.

Maintained or non-maintained?

Maintained luminaires are lit all the time and stay lit on battery — used in places like cinemas and venues. Non-maintained luminaires only illuminate when the normal supply fails, and are the usual choice in offices and workplaces. Many buildings use a mix.

Where luminaires are needed

At each exit door, on every flight of stairs, at changes of level and direction, at corridor intersections, near firefighting equipment and first aid points, and adjacent to escape signage. We produce a design showing coverage rather than simply scattering fittings.