Emergency Lighting Systems

Yes. The British Standard 52661:2016 Emergency Lighting Code of Conduct states the following:

“‘Every workplace shall have suitable and sufficient emergency lighting and that suitable and sufficient emergency lighting shall be provided and maintained in any room in which persons at work are specifically exposed to danger in the event of failure of artificial lighting.’”

It is, therefore, a fire safety requirement that emergency lighting is provided in the following premises:

• Offices and shops
• Pubs, clubs and restaurants
• Schools
• Hotels and hostels
• Factories and warehouses
• Community halls
• Common areas in HMOs

The sudden darkness that could occur as a result of a mains power failure could lead to panic, disorientation and danger for the inhabitants of a building. To counteract this, Emergency Lighting systems should be placed in strategic areas in order to allow efficient and effective evacuation of a premises, in the case of an emergency.

Recommended areas include:

• Stairways and escalators
• Exit doors
• Surrounding fire alarms and extinguishers
• Windowless rooms
• Lifts
• Large open areas
• Areas with uneven flooring
• First aid stations
• Areas of high physical risk

There are numerous types of emergency lighting that may be required within your property or business. The three main variations include:

Escape Route Lighting
This is designed to illuminate planned evacuation routes in case of emergencies. The lighting should highlight the safest and most efficient pathway out of your building, as well as clearly showing where fire exits are located.

High-Risk Task Area Lighting
High-Risk Task Area Lighting is essential for any areas within a building that have systems, machines or processes that need to be monitored. For example, anywhere where there is moving machinery, flammable materials or moving vehicles.

Open-Area Lighting (Anti-panic areas)
In large, spacious buildings – this type of lighting is used to prevent any delays among people trying to evacuate the building. When the mains power goes out, open-area lighting prevents panic among building occupants and encourages people to stay calm and rational!

As with all emergency equipment, it is crucial that businesses test and maintain their Emergency Lighting systems regularly. As a general guide, most systems need to be checked once a month and then given a thorough and full-duration test once a year.

The monthly test
As a business, you need to conduct short monthly checks on your lighting systems to ensure they are running correctly. This shouldn’t typically take much time. First, ensure that all of the Emergency Lighting systems come on when the mains power is switched off. Secondly, check over the casing of the lighting to ensure that it is fully visible, clean and isn’t damaged. Finally, once the mains power has been restored, check that the Emergency Lights are charging again. If any defects or failures are identified during this monthly check, record the results in a log book and fix them as soon as possible.

The annual test
Once a year, a more rigorous and thorough test must be carried out. During the annual test, your entire Emergency Lighting System should be illuminated for the entirety of the specified duration that is required in an emergency. Typically, this is three hours. Once you have tested the lighting system for three hours, you must then assess that it still works at the end of that time frame.

Here at CitiGroup, we provide a complete service for all emergency lighting systems, from initial design and installation to inspection, testing and certification. We’ve been providing electrical solutions for businesses across West Yorkshire and the rest of the UK for over 25 years now – and it’s fair to say we’re pretty good at what we do!

CitiGroup can provide you with:

• Initial design and installation of emergency lighting systems
• Annual luminaire duration testing
• Complete cleaning of diffusers
• Battery functionality checks
• Logbooks and data records
• Expert advice on how to stay compliant

Got any more questions about Emergency Lighting systems in West Yorkshire, or want to check what the next steps are for your business? Give our friendly team a ring on 01924 235057 or alternatively, drop us a message here!