Specific requirements for emergency lighting are set out in law. The individual responsible for the building must ensure that people can safely leave the premises when the mains power fails.

This evacuation is facilitated by an emergency lighting scheme that must comply with European laws.  These laws dictate the level of lighting required in the event of an emergency, together with important obligations such as the visibility of exit signage and the response time of emergency luminaires.

What is emergency lighting?

Emergency lighting operates automatically when a lighting circuit loses the mains power supply.

What is emergency lighting?

Emergency lighting operates automatically when a lighting circuit loses the mains power supply.

Escape lighting

This illuminates exit routes and open areas. In summary:

Exit routes must be clearly lit and signed to ensure people can evacuate the building safely.

Open area lighting is designed to reduce confusion and panic, whilst ensuring visibility of the nearest exit route. Escape lighting also enables employees to shut down sensitive or potentially dangerous processes before evacuating the building.

Standby lighting

Standby lighting allows normal activities to continue if the main lighting fails for any reason.

An application such as an operating theatre or an air traffic control centre would require standby lighting.

Maintaining your emergency lighting scheme

Once an emergency lighting scheme is designed and installed, the person responsible for the building has a legal obligation to make sure that all the emergency luminaires will operate when required. Emergency light fittings must be regularly tested to confirm that they will operate when required.

Testing Emergency Lighting Products

Emergency lighting products have to be tested regularly to meet the requirements of European law.  The standard EN50172 stipulates the precise nature and frequency of the testing.

A full record sheet needs to be maintained for each emergency fitting. These sheets have to be available for inspection by the authorities at any time. Failure to provide full test records can result in legal action and closure of the building. In the event of an emergency, if the emergency lighting is defective, the insurance policy for the building may be invalidated and the building operator could face a heavy fine or imprisonment. Recent changes to the laws governing emergency lighting have shifted the responsibility for the testing to the building operator. This testing can be tedious, costly and time consuming.

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