Why Saving a few extra Pounds on Emergency Lighting
When it comes to choosing emergency lighting, there are many factors to consider. Peter Adams, Mackwell’s Central Service & Training Manager explains more.
Not only must the emergency lighting system be fit for purpose, but it must also meet stringent safety and compliance standards. Meeting these standards can impact financially, both in terms of the design and specification, through to the installation, and the on-going maintenance of the system. Often portrayed as a necessary but unattractive part of the lighting scheme, emergency lighting is in fact, a safety critical system and is a legal requirement within commercial premises. It is provided to help facilitate the immediate and safe evacuation of occupants from the premises in times of emergency and as such, must be afforded the same importance and diligence of other such systems. Short cuts and corner cutting such as the specification of sub-standard components and ineffective maintenance schedules, brought about by budgetary constraints can all result in non-compliances,
compromising the safety of the building occupants. One of the most fundamental aspects of building safety, the provision of an adequate
20 fmuk Peter Adams
emergency lighting system, can often be overlooked. Its importance, however, is critical in ensuring the safety of employees and members of the public. Emergency lighting provides guidance and illumination of a sufficiently high level to enable all occupants to evacuate the premises safely at times of emergency. The consequences of a non-compliant emergency lighting system can impact severely on the health and safety of occupants, resulting in prosecutions such as fines and custodial sentences depending on the level of non-compliance.
British Standards
With the extensive revision of BS 5266 – 1: Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises (released May 2016 and brought into force in June 2017), the way designers approach emergency lighting has fundamentally changed. Despite better defined responsibilities and more detail on emergency safety lighting and standby lighting requirements, the area is now more complex with greater scope for confusion between parties responsible for the design, installation, testing/commissioning and ongoing performance of the emergency lighting system. As with most aspects of health and safety, there are many national and international
standards in place to ensure that such systems can perform the tasks demanded of them. It is therefore imperative that the constituent components of the emergency lighting system are selected, designed and installed to the specific criteria within these standards, ensuring compliance and performance of both the components and the system as a whole. The Code of practice, BS 5266 :1999 –
2016, is an essential point of reference. Its accompanying standard; BS 5266 Part 7 – EN
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