• • • LIGHTING • • • GETTING EMERGENCY LIGHTING RIGHT
To get an emergency lighting specification right and help the responsible person meet their legal obligations there are many factors that you need to consider. Anthony Martindale, Product Manager at Collingwood Lighting advises. By Anthony Martindale, Product Manager, Collingwood Lighting
U
nder the Building Safety Act the ‘responsible person,’ whether that is the owner or facilities manager, is legally responsible for fire safety and protecting the lives of the people inside. The cost of getting it wrong can be a six-figure fine or prison.
Whether it is due to fire or another emergency, occupants, who may be unfamiliar with a building, need clear lighting and signposting for both emergency equipment and to get to a place of safety. And if there is a power failure then this lighting is critical to reduce panic and save lives.
Who uses the building? Exactly what emergency lighting you specify and where you install it will depend on a thorough risk assessment that considers the type of building, the people likely to be in it, and what they use it for. As an electrical engineer it will be up to you to advise the ‘responsible person’ on the best solution. As part of the risk assessment, you must consider who uses the building and how familiar they are with its layout.
When planning escape routes, think about people with impairments. Mobility problems may mean it takes them longer to get to safety and poor eyesight makes it harder to identify signage. Think about where you will place emergency lighting and consider higher illumination.
If the public use the building, then they may be unfamiliar with its layout, and an emergency could cause panic. If this is the case, you should specify maintained or always on exit signs. There are also times and places when occupants are less aware, for example in an entertainment venue or if they are asleep in a hotel. In these instances, they will respond slowly to an emergency, so any signage and escape routes need to be more clearly lit.
Stopping a task safely Next consider what tasks people are doing inside and ensure that they can stop them safely in an emergency?
For an office, a shop, or a general circulation area you may only you may only need escape and anti-panic lighting with low illumination levels. If people are using control panels you should light both this and the task so that they can stop the process and safely leave the area. This might include warehouses, kitchens, first aid areas and light industrial areas.
And where people are doing high-risk tasks or which take time to stop, you will need to provide full illumination in an emergency. Examples include foundries, hospital operating theatres and airport control towers.
How easy is it to evacuate? The size and complexity of a building can make evacuation harder.
High rise buildings, defined as at least seven storeys or with a height of greater than 18 metres, are an obvious example. It will take longer for people to safely leave the premises, especially if they are asleep when the emergency happens. This means the emergency lighting should stay on for longer and you will need to provide higher illumination levels. Older buildings often do not meet current regulations. They may not have enough escape routes, and they might not be wide enough. They may also contain materials that are
38 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • OCTOBER 2025
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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