The Purpose and Powering of Emergency Lighting
Emergency Lighting is important in highlighting emergency exits during a power cut or when the exit may not be visible during an emergency. They come in various forms including signposting exits or equipment, or as secondary light sources in the event of a power failure. The lights will automatically switch on should the normal mains power fail. The main objective of emergency lighting is to allow people to safely exit a building or any other location should something cause the normal mains power to turn off. People can follow visible visual cues along escape routes or exit routes and firefighters and other emergency personnel will easily be able to see and identify the locations for safety and emergency equipment. There are several different types of emergency lighting. The most common emergency lighting is actual emergency signs that light up when there is no normal power. Anti-panic, or open area, lighting is to reduce the risk of people panicking and to enable people to move safely towards escape routes. High-Risk Task Area Lighting is the term provided to lights that flood a specific area to ensure the safety of people that are involved in dangerous situations or busy with risky processes. In most cases, a variety of different types of emergency lighting will be used and a company will need to assess the particular building to determine what types of lighting would be required. This is known as a risk assessment. A company that specialises in emergency lighting will then also advise on the type of installation that is needed. How emergency lighting works is with batteries. In general, the emergency lights will have been wired to the power supply of the specific building so that it can continuously charge its batteries, which it will then use for power should the mains switch off for any reason. This means that even when there is a power cut, the emergency lights will remain on and clearly visible. General standards dictate that emergency lighting should be able to stay lit for at least 90 minutes during a power failure. A lower wattage light is generally used for signposts and small spaces, but a higher wattage will be necessary for open area lighting. Emergency lighting also come in two different operation types, maintained or non-maintained. If the lights are maintained, this means that they will be lit at all times, whether the building is running on its normal power or not. Non-maintained emergency lights will only switch on in the event of a power failure. Two different types of lights are used in emergency lighting, the first being LED lights and the second, fluorescent. LED lighting is the most cost-effective and generally environmentally-friendlier option. It provides the highest light output for the least amount of power consumed and has a longer lifespan than other products. Fluorescent lights are inexpensive and come in a wide array of sizes. However, they tend to be costly in the long run as they have high power consumption and a shorter lifespan than other products. Emergency lights in commercial buildings are a legal requirement and they need to be installed and maintained by a professional lighting company. Additionally, any emergency lighting needs to comply with strict performance standards and should be inspected and reviewed at least once every three months. It is also absolutely compulsory in areas where anyone runs the risk of getting stuck in the dark should the power go out. The reason why such a high priority is placed on emergency lighting is that it decreases the risk of injury or death to people in commercial settings.