EMERGENCY LIGHTING DURATION

04 Jan

The required duration of emergency lighting depends on building usage and evacuation strategies. A 3 hours period is required for entertainment venues (cinemas, theatres, etc.) and buildings with a sleep risk (hotels, guesthouses, etc.). Residential buildings also require a 3 hours window of illumination. Despite residents’ familiarity with the building layout and expectations for an orderly evacuation in case of an emergency, there is still a sleep risk.

A 3 hours period is also required in cases in which evacuation/escape could take a long time. The types of building requiring a 3 hours window of emergency illumination are as follows;

-Facilities that provide accommodations; hospitals, care homes, guesthouses, student residence halls, boarding schools, certain types of clubs

-Non-residential buildings used for treatment or care; private schools, clinics and similar establishments

-Non-residential buildings used for recreation; cinemas, theatres, concert venues, exhibition centres, gyms, pubs, restaurants

-Non-residential public buildings; municipality halls, libraries, shops, shopping centres, art galleries, museums

For certain facilities, a time window of 1 hour is considered sufficient if the evacuation is immediate. The following are examples of such facilities;

-Non-residential buildings used for education and research purposes; schools, higher education institutions, technical institutions, laboratories

-Industrial facilities used for the production, processing, or storage of goods; factories, workshops, warehouses

EMERGENCY LIGHTING PRODUCT COMPATIBILITY AND CERTIFICATION

It is essential that emergency lighting luminaires are designed according to the correct standards and certified by independent accredited organisations.

WHAT IS THE EMERGENCY LIGHTING UNIT?

An emergency lighting unit is an electronic circuit that provides adequate lighting to the surroundings in the case of a power failure, by the help of the battery it has, provided that it is connected to light sources such as LED, fluorescent and halogen used for general lighting.

REGULAR TESTING, MAINTENANCE, AND REGISTRATION

Buildings that will be fitted with emergency lighting must have a project plan that is in accordance with the Interior Electrical Wiring Project Regulation, and it must be submitted to the building authorities. Correct planning saves lives. The project plan must include all devices to be used, and it must be signed by an expert to verify that it conforms to all relevant standards and regulations.