Ef-Elec

Emergency Lighting is a Life Safety System and is required to guide the occupants in the event of an emergency safely out of the building to designated meeting points. (i.e. power failure or fire)

An emergency light is designed to come on when the power goes out. The particular model you choose will either require batteries or a generator system that will provide electricity to the lights during a blackout.

Emergency lighting is installed in every modern commercial property and also high occupancy residential buildings.

Emergency Lighting Regulations

THE FIRE PRECAUTIONS (WORKPLACE) REGULATIONS 1997

This directive controls the way that the building will be used and the equipment and systems needed to safeguard the occupants. The legal requirement is that – Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in case the lighting fails. The law is explained and the rules for compliance are given in a joint Home Office and Health & Safety Executive document – FIRE SAFETY – An employers guide.

Main points from the guide are:

The employer has legal responsibility for compliance

Although the legislation uses and modifies the Fire Precautions
Act 1971, it now covers all premises where people are
employed

Any site with five or more employees must keep a formal record
of Fire Risk Assessment. This should evaluate the site and detail
the measures taken to ensure the safety of the premises

If the premises already have a fire certificate to the latest
standards the employer still needs to provide a risk assessment,
but it is unlikely that they will need any additional equipment.
If however the fire certificate was issued prior to 1999, when
BS 5266-1 was revised, the risk assessment needs to check
whether improvements are needed to meet the latest standard