Emergency lighting is essentially back up lighting for an emergency situation when the main power supply is interrupted. In our blog we outline the importance of emergency lighting…
Why is Emergency Lighting Required?
If lighting is necessary to ensure that people can carry out their daily activities, then emergency lighting is required in the event of a power outage. It is a legal requirement that non-domestic properties must be safe at all times. A power cut in your building could be as a result of a fire or power outage and as a result the normal lighting will fail to operate, potentially making the property unsafe and potentially dangerous. A consideration must be made for the tasks that are carried out in your buildings, factories, warehouse, offices and dental surgery even operating theatres. Special arrangements are made for high risk tasks.
The purpose of the emergency lighting systems is to enable people to escape to a place of safety in the event of an emergency situation, this is generally called escape route lighting. Fire Fighting equipment also requires to be covered by emergency lighting to enable safe and correct use in the event of an emergency situation.
How often do you need to test Emergency Lighting?
There is only one type of system that requires daily inspection – that is a central battery system.
In this case, there is a requirement to carry out a daily inspection of the central battery power supply to confirm the system is operating correctly. The daily inspection is not required for standard self-contained back up lights.
All other emergency lighting systems are to be functional tested each month, the test often referred to as a ‘flick’ test is carried out by momentarily removing the power to each fitting via the test switch to ensure that it works in the event of a mains failure. All lights do not need to be tested at once, providing all lights are testing monthly this can be spread across different days and weeks. When removing the power via the test switch the small LED light will no longer be present and at least one lamp in the light fitting will remain operational. When the test is complete introduce the power and the light will resume normal operation and the small LED light will be present. It is important to record the test in you log book.
An annual duration test of your emergency lights is required to be completed by a competent service and maintenance company, the test should be carried out for the duration that the lights are designed to. The test is to confirm that the light is able and capable of withstanding an emergency situation in a controlled way, ensuring your lights are in optimal condition at all times. The test is also to confirm the you have the correct number of lights in the correct locations. Light defusers and tubes are inspected and cleaned to maximise the effectiveness of your emergency lights.
Swift Fire & Safety ensure that our customers’ emergency lighting is maintained to a high standard, communicating and correcting any deficiencies found keeping your staff or the public safe at all times.
For more information on our emergency lighting services, please contact us on 01733 602955 or simply complete the contact us form and one of the team will be in touch to discuss your requirements.
Swift Fire & Safety are an industry leading Fire Protection company, based in Peterborough. We offer a wide range of services covering a wide geographical area. Our team a dedicated, highly skilled and experienced in the design, installation and service and maintenance of Fire and Security systems. We offer exceptional service at competitive rates without compromising the quality.