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Exit and emergency lighting is lighting for an emergency situation when the power fails and normal building lighting cuts out. This can be particularly critical in a fire event when dense smoke can clog evacuation paths making the route to exit extremely difficult to navigate. Exit and emergency lighting is required to operate fully automatically and give adequate illumination and time to enable all occupants to evacuate the premises safely. Exit and emergency lighting are both key elements in assuring that in the event of an evacuation both your employees and visitors have clear exit paths.
In the event of an emergency and if a major power failure has occurred, most occupants within a building do not realise that even during the day, a building can be extremely dark making the exits difficult to locate. To overcome this life threatening problem, exit signs and emergency lighting are installed throughout a building showing the occupants the fastest way to evacuate.
Exit signs and emergency lighting are fed via 240volt power similar to ordinary light fixtures. Unlike ordinary light fixtures, exit signage and emergency lighting have an internal battery allowing illumination even when main power is out.
Under the Australian Standards AS2293 exit signage and emergency lighting must stay illuminated for a minimum of 90 minutes. The Australian Standards and local council requirements also state that exit signage and emergency lighting must be tested and discharged at the following intervals:
By conducting the required testing not only do you meet your duty of care, but also by discharging the batteries every six months you will prolong the life of the exit sign or emergency light.
There are three different types of emergency lighting:
Tagee is able to install, maintain, service and certify all types of exit signs and emergency lighting.
Australian Standard AS/NZS 2293 series covers the system design, installation, operation, service, maintenance, and production of emergency lights & exit signs. Here, we briefly outline the emergency luminaire testing & classification process, which provides maximum spacings between emergency lights for a range of mounting heights.
Australian Standard AS/NZS 2293.1:2018 specifies a minimum light level of 0.2 lux with a minimum average of 0.5 lux at floor level under emergency lighting conditions. For stairwells, this should be a minimum of 1 lux. This emergency light level should be maintained for a minimum of 90 minutes upon failure of power supply to normal lighting. The level of light at floor or the tread of a step depends upon on the lumen output & light distribution of the fitting and the mounting height of the fitting above floor level.
Thorough inspection, testing and maintenance is crucial to ensure that the emergency lighting system will operate, has functional bulbs and tubes and will provide adequate illumination for the required time frame if ever needed in an emergency.
Tagee technicians are highly experienced in inspection, testing and maintenance of this critical building evacuation element. Our on call service provides 24 hours a day, seven days a week phone and on-site support, ensuring the reliability of your emergency lighting system.
