Introduction to Emergency Lighting
Laws governing emergency lighting
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005, which went into effect in October 2006, places responsibility for everyone's safety in a building, whether they are working, visiting, or living there, on the person in charge of non-domestic premises and the common areas of a House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO). It is part of this duty of care to provide emergency illumination. The RRFSO's Article 14(2)(h) states:
In the event that their regular lighting fails, "Emergency routes and exits needing illumination must be equipped with emergency lighting of suitable intensity."
As stated by the Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL), which is the leading UK authority on emergency lighting and offers third party accreditation for components and products for emergency light fittings under the auspices of the Lighting Industry Association (LIA): "Emergency lighting is part of the fire safety provision of a building and cannot be ignored."
"Non-domestic buildings are required by law to always be secure, even in the event of a mains power outage. Therefore, emergency lighting is required in almost all such structures ".
the accountable party
BS 5266-1 is the overarching standard for emergency lighting (Code of practice for emergency lighting). The following are the responsibilities of the "responsible person," according to the British Standards Institution (BSi) guidance to this code:
"The accountable party must be able to show that the fire safety systems' hardware and upkeep are sufficient to safeguard the occupants. The manufacturer's instructions or the applicable British Standard should be followed when installing and maintaining fire prevention equipment and associated services to ensure that they are suitable for their intended use." (2012), p. 211 of A Guide to Emergency Lighting, Second Edition.
Despite the fact that in practice this duty of care is frequently shared or delegated, it is still a frightening prospect for laypeople who have no background in fire safety and are placed in the position of being legally responsible for the protection and well-being of others in this regard but lack that background.
Anyone who has some control over a building or specific areas within it, such as property managers, landlords, and letting agents, can be considered the responsible party.
What are emergency lighting systems used for?
The approach for emergency lighting will be as follows after the fire risk assessment (FRA), which will reveal the numerous concerns that need to be addressed:
System planning and development
Placing emergency lighting luminaires (lights and signs that are mounted on walls or ceilings)
installation of all fixtures permanently
periodic system evaluation and upkeep
Every building will have unique specifications for emergency escape lighting, which, as mentioned above, serves to replace the regular lighting system in the event of a power or circuit failure. Of fact, even within a single structure, these "average" lighting levels will differ. Different interior spaces will have varying degrees of natural lighting. For instance, rooms with outside windows benefit from daylight, but interior, unglazed spaces like hallways and stairwells must constantly have lighting supplied.
When a structure is utilized at night, emergency lighting is often required in all spaces, including those that are naturally illuminated during the day. One exception might be the use of "borrowed" light from outside street lamps that are turned on when the building is occupied. If this is a reliable source of lighting and it illuminates the escape routes inside the building sufficiently, it might be sufficient depending on who will be using the routes. According to the HM Government Fire safety risk assessment: large places of assembly (May 2006, p. 28), "On rare occasions, borrowed lighting, such as that from street lamps where it illuminates escape routes, may be acceptable in the parts of the premises used by staff and where the escape routes are simple and straightforward." To put it another way, those who are acquainted with the structure may be able to safely exit during the hours of darkness using borrowed light; but, it is never a good idea for the general public to utilize escape routes that are solely lit by such methods. In this situation, emergency lighting must always be available.
