Emergency Lighting: Planning for Ownership

There is a lot of information available online about the legal requirements for emergency lighting, how to design emergency lighting, and even how to install it, but less on considering the factors that can have a large effect on the ongoing ownership of the system.

Emergency lighting is a vital safety system for the protection of people that should remain working for many years, and it is a system that is going to have to be tested, inspected, and maintained throughout its lifetime.

And the considerations below will apply whether the building is large or small, however the emergency lighting is powered, and no matter whether the system is manually tested or carries out its testing automatically.

Integrated into the Mains Lighting

Having the emergency lighting integrated into the mains lighting luminaires is a popular solution.  It can offer a more pleasing aesthetic solution for the building’s interior, reduce the number of lighting fixture points, and is available for a very wide range of mains lighting luminaire types and styles.

It can be harder to identify which products have an emergency facility slowing testing and inspection.  It can be more difficult to see when the emergency light has changed over to its emergency output and so may require switching off the mains lighting to conduct tests, and if there is a wide variation of lighting types, there will be an equally wide range of battery packs and control gear types that may need to be sourced for maintenance.

Dedicated Emergency Lighting Fixtures

This solution can reduce the number of product variations used making maintenance and the sourcing of spares easier.  They are easier to identify during routine tasks, and it will be easier to see when they are illuminated in emergency mode.

There will be more lighting fixture points, and some will not like the extra fitments visible on the ceiling.

Summary

There is no right or wrong about selecting integrated emergency lighting or dedicated emergency lights, and many buildings will have a mix.  But is worth considering the ease and simplification of testing, inspection, and maintenance for different areas at the planning stage.  You will be doing these things for many years to come.

Whichever you choose, we have products to assist you: www.emcosafe.co.uk