LIGHTING
Well-lit corridors at Burnley Hospital. Liam Greene
Liam Greene is Thorlux’s emergency lighting product manager. Over the past decade, Liam has brought together expertise in both Product Design and Product Management, underpinned by a BA (Hons) in Product Design. At Thorlux Lighting, he has led and contributed to several key strategic projects and product launches, with the past three years dedicated specifically to the design, development, and training within the Emergency Lighting sector. A central focus
of Liam’s work is the promotion of awareness around Emergency Lighting standards, legislation, and compliance. This commitment is evident not only in his contributions at Thorlux Lighting but also in his broader engagement with both the UK and European Emergency Lighting markets, where he collaborates closely with an experienced network of industry professionals across Europe.
for compliance with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) put in place to protect people within non-domestic or residential premises. In a workplace setting, such as a hospital, this will usually be the employer and so the most senior person in the organisation will be ultimately liable. In severe cases, failure to comply with the articles within 8-22 of the RRO 2005, can lead to a criminal prosecution of up to 2 years and/or fines of up to no maximum sum. A competent person can be nominated and given
the authority to complete maintenance and responsible for overall operation of the life safety system. They do not have to be part of the organisation but could be a third-party contractor and complete testing, reporting and maintenance of the premises emergency and fire system. While the legal exposure of a competent person is
arguably not as great as that of a responsible person, they are still legally responsible for ensuring works are undertaken competently. Failing to do so can lead to criminal prosecution and fines. Crucially, both the responsible and competent persons must ensure they are aware of changes to standards and legislation that affect the compliance of their emergency lighting systems. They must also take into account that compliance is not simply a matter of installing a conforming system. Instead, it is an ongoing responsibility, requiring them to ensure the ongoing upkeep and monitoring of their emergency lighting systems. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse if found guilty of non- compliance.
Which standards apply to healthcare settings? Due to its critical importance in an emergency, the precise requirements for emergency lighting are tightly defined. While this is the case for all premises open to the public, the requirements for healthcare premises are especially stringent. Estates and facilities managers must not only comply with rigorous statutory requirements, but also with Department for Health guidance. The Department for Health guidance relating to
emergency lighting in healthcare settings is provided in the HTM 06-01 technical memorandum, reflecting the statutory requirements contained in in the BS EN 1838:2024 emergency lighting standards, which have recently been updated. Executive level leaders, estates and facilities managers must be aware of the key changes in BS EN 1838:2024 as they mean certain emergency lighting set-ups and processes that would previously have been compliant can no longer be assumed to be. The statutory duties on organisations and specific individuals within those organisations mean failure to comply can amount to corporate and personal criminal offences.
Crucially, both the responsible and competent persons must ensure they are aware of changes to standards and legislation that affect the compliance of their emergency lighting systems.
36 Health Estate Journal March 2026
What’s new in BS EN 1838:2024? The changes contained in BS EN 1838:2024 are wide ranging and encompass modifications to the requirements relating to escape route illumination, points of emphasis and hazardous areas, local area lighting, system integrity and testing and maintenance. One of the more notable changes from the previous BS EN 1838:2013 standards is the requirement for a minimum of one lux across the full width of the escape route and not just the centre line. For escape routes wider than two metres, borders of 0.5 metres can be excluded while routes that are two metres and narrower can have a quarter. Related to this, the new standards include clarification as to how light levels should be measured, particularly in stairwells. The new standards also outline more specific requirements for the illumination of points of emphasis and hazardous areas. This includes specifying that points such as fire alarm call points, fire equipment and refuge areas have at minimum five lux of illumination. Similarly, BS EN 1838:2024 provides more detail about requirements for open area lighting, known also as ‘anti-panic lighting’. This must be based on a risk assessment and at minimum, provide 0.5 lux of illumination.
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