Emergency Lighting

Emergency lighting is a self-descriptive term and is lighting for an emergency situation when the main power supply fails. The loss of mains electricity could be the result of a fire or a power cut and the normal lighting supplies fail. This may lead to sudden darkness and a possible danger to the occupants, either through physical danger or panic.

Types of Lighting

Non-maintained - The emergency light units only illuminate in the event of a mains failure.

Maintained - The emergency light units are illuminated at all times using the same lamps for both normal and emergency operation.

Sustained - The emergency light units are fitted with two lamps or two sets of lamps. One of which operates on mains 240V AC supply, the other which operates from the battery supply in the event of mains failure. It is basically a non-maintained system with the addition of mains lamps which should be illuminated whenever the premises are occupied.

General Position of Emergency Lighting

BS5266 recommends the provision of a horizontal illumination at floor level on the centre line of a defined escape route (permanently unobstructed) not less than 0.2 lux and 0.5 lux minimum for anti panic areas to exclude 0.5 metre border around the room. In addition, for escape routes of up to 2m wide, 50% of the route width should be lit to a minimum of 0.1 lux. Wider escape routes can be treated as a number of 2m wide bands. The actual degree of illumination should be closely related to the nature of both the premises and its occupants with special consideration being given to old person’s homes, hospitals, crowded areas such as pubs, discos and supermarkets, and to whether or not the premises are residential.

There is legislation, guides, British and European standards that require emergency lighting to be installed and the ares it should cover. An emergency escape lighting system should normally cover the following ares,

•each exit door;
•escape routes;
•intersections of corridors;
•outside each final exit and on external escape routes;
•emergency escape signs;
•stairways so that each flight receives adequate light;
•changes in floor level;
•windowless rooms and toilet accommodation exceeding 8m2;
•firefighting equipment;
•fire alarm call points;
•equipment that would need to be shut down in an emergency;
•lifts and areas in premises greater than 60m2.