Everyone would have seen an emergency light system at one point or another unless they’ve never been in any building apart from their own house. Emergency lights offer an escape from a building in the event of it plunging into darkness, such as during a fire. They’re such a feature of buildings we don’t tend to notice until we need them. Businesses must comply with all safety regulations, so if requiring a fire exit sign should look to a Recommended Site selling ISO approved fire safety signs.
Important
Monthly and annual emergency lights testing is as important as fixed wire testing. Fixed wire testing can help prevent problems, but when the unexpected occurs, it is up to a comprehensive and working emergency lights system to get people out of a building.
Features of an Emergency Light System
Those big green signs over emergency exits are the most prominent part of the emergency light system. When all the lights go out in the cinema, you should still be able to see those. If you look down, you’ll be able to see lights along the floor leading to an exit. In an emergency, these switch to non-mains controlled lights. If you are lucky, you’ll only use these lights to go to the toilet or buy more popcorn. In an emergency, they make sure all the cinema’s customers and staff leave the building in a safe and controlled manner.
Some people may notice the fire fighting equipment hanging on the walls, such as a fire extinguisher. It isn’t just a cinema that needs markings leading to an emergency exit that work separately to the mains. All commercial buildings need this.
Stairways need to have a light system. If you’ve ever walked down the stairs in a commercial building, you may have noticed luminescent strips on each step. Some buildings use these as part of their emergency system.
Disorientating
When plunged into darkness, even the most familiar buildings become disorientating. Add panic to disorientation, and it becomes a recipe for disaster. However, the emergency light system can get everyone out of the building in a calm and safe manner. There isn’t much point in having an emergency light system if it isn’t working or isn’t fit for purpose.
Testing
Emergency light testing is mandatory for all non-domestic buildings. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 means all business owners must make sure their emergency light system works in the event of the mains failing.
On a monthly basis, the emergency lights need to be tested. That means an expert switching off the mains and making sure the emergency system lights up. Any parts that don’t need to be repaired right away. Once the mains are back on, each sign and part of the system needs to be checked to make sure it is charging.
Once per year, the emergency light system requires an extended duration test. That means the mains will need to be switched off for around three hours to make sure each part of the emergency light system maintains its brightness.
Emergency lights are a vital safety feature.