EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS LIGHTING THEWAY
Adequate lighting plays a key role in the safe evacuation of personnel during an emergency. When this lighting is situated in hazardous areas, where a spark could cause ignition of flammable substances, it needs to comply with the relevant standards for explosion risk assessment.
Fluorescent tube lighting has been the accepted technology for many years. However, the tubes contain mercury and the environmental impacts of their production and disposal are no longer considered acceptable in the EU. New legislation means that those still purchasing fluorescent lighting in hazardous areas need to replace it with LED lighting within the next few months.
REGULATORY IMPERATIVES The Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive
restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment across Europe, including the use of mercury in lighting products. At the start of 2022, the European Commission has revised the number of exemptions in the directive – with great impact on fluorescent lighting products. In addition, the SLR (Ecodesign Regulation), effective from September 2021, phases out products that fail to meet efficiency requirements. Both regulations are intended to protect the environment and public health by enforcing climate- friendly sustainable lighting.
In addition, the EU is accelerating the phase-out of fluorescent lighting tubes in favour of LED technology. The deadline for phasing out mercury-containing T8 fluorescent tubes has been brought forward to 25 August 2023 – and there is no longer an exemption for explosion-proof (Ex) lighting. This means that fluorescent light fixtures in Ex areas should be replaced as soon as possible.
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES Compliance involves either retrofitting Ex LED modules
individually or replacing the old lighting system entirely. Retrofitting individual Ex LED modules may require a lower capital outlay, but it can result in a mixture of lighting equipment that makes maintenance more costly and complex. The initial cost involved in an entirely new Ex LED lighting installation may be higher due to the cost of removing the old system as well as installing the new fixtures. However, fewer LED fixtures may be required to achieve the same lighting levels. There is also the opportunity to optimise system design and layout, with the potential for quicker payback and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
While lighting manufacturers have responded quickly to develop general purpose LED alternatives, delivering a solution for hazardous area applications within the revised timescale has been more challenging, not least due to the strict testing and approvals regime involved
16
The EU deadline for phasing out mercury-containing fluorescent tubes across Europe is just six months away. Marcella Alagona, Product Manager at Eaton, explains what this means for emergency lighting systems, particularly in hazardous areas.
in getting Ex-rated LED lighting products to market. Eaton is one of the few companies with the combination of hazardous area expertise and electrical engineering knowhow to develop Ex LED lighting for both mains and emergency lighting applications within the time limit.
SEEING THE LIGHT The battery-powered ExLin NE+ provides a decentralized
LED solution for mandatory emergency lighting in case of power failure, in compliance with EN 60598-2-22. It forms part of the ExLin range, which offers safe, reliable and cost-efficient LED lighting solutions and is certified for use in Zone 1 and Zone 21.
The ExLin NE+ combines lithium batteries (which are more environmentally friendly than nickel cadmium types), state-of-the-art LED technology with optimised thermal management, and a time-tested enclosure to deliver reliable performance for longer in harsh and hazardous environments. The batteries feature faster charging, which means emergency lighting is fully available more quickly.
ExLin NE+ luminaires offer narrow, standard and wide beam options, which enable illumination to be tailored to the application. The emergency lighting cycle can be set locally for 1.5 or three hours. These luminaires can also vary their power consumption to deliver homogeneous illumination of escape routes in accordance with the local conditions, even in emergency lighting mode.
Using its extensive experience in developing hazardous lighting solutions for harsh industrial applications, Eaton has the experience and the technology to support customers making the switch to LED lighting.
www.eaton.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
