What is emergency lighting and where is it needed?

Emergency lighting or escape route lighting is a back-up lighting source that typically operates in the event of a power outage where the mains power supply is lost and normal electrical lighting fails. Emergency escape lighting can operate in similar situations including loss of power due to a fire. Where there are emergency lights installed, sudden periods of darkness, which could lead to danger to occupants, can be avoided.

Escape lighting is a legal requirement in support of Requirement B1 of the Building Regulations and Article 14 (Emergency routes and exits), of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. British Standard 5266-1 (BS 5266-1), the code of practice for emergency lighting states:

‘Every workplace shall have suitable and sufficient emergency lighting and that suitable and sufficient emergency lighting shall be provided and maintained in any room in which persons at work are specifically exposed to danger in the event of failure of artificial lighting.’

Emergency lighting is needed to cover the following essential locations:

• All individual exit doors
• Escape routes
• Corridor intersections
• Outside each final exit (e.g. a fire exit) and on external escape routes (exit lighting)
• Emergency escape signs (such as an exit sign)
• Stairways and where there are changes in floor levels
• Windowless rooms (e.g. basement areas) and toilets exceeding 8m2
• Firefighting and other safety equipment
• Fire alarm call points
• Equipment that would need to be shut down in an emergency (or anywhere else that would require high risk task area lighting)
• Lifts
• Areas in the building greater than 60m2

What can Firesharp do for me?

We can Design, Install, test and inspect your Emergency Lighting, we can also replace fittings if necessary or repair. Testing is usually paired with one of the fire alarm service visits.