Emergency Escape Lighting

Recent legislation makes it critical that all businesses address the requirements for Emergency Escape Lighting.  The British Standards Institute, whose BS 5266-1:2005 standard governs all Davenheath-OTS projects in this area, introduces the subject with the following statement:

"Emergency lighting is essential for the safety of building occupants. It is vital that the lighting comes on if the normal lighting fails. It needs to be sufficiently bright, illuminated for a sufficient length of time and the light sources so positioned, that the building occupants can be evacuated safely in an emergency."

All escape routes, including external ones, must have sufficient lighting for people to see their way out safely. Emergency escape lighting may be needed if areas of the workplace are without natural daylight or are used at night.

Emergency escape lighting should:

•     indicate the escape routes clearly;
•     provide illumination along escape routes to allow safe movement towards the final exits; and
•     ensure that fire alarm call points and fire-fighting equipment can be readily located.

In addition to emergency escape lighting, it may be necessary to provide other forms of emergency lighting for safety reasons, for example to ensure that manufacturing processes can be shut down safely.

Davenheath-OTS have considerable experience in designing, installing, testing and maintaining suitable systems thereby ensuring that, when you need them most, the lights don't go out.

The key service elements Davenheath-OTS offer are:

•     Investigation of your premises and determine requirements for emergency lighting;
  •     Interior working spaces;
  •     Outdoor spaces in potential hazard zone;
  •     All escape routes;
•     Design a suitable lighting scheme;
  •     Selecting suitable components;
  •     Cabling requirements;
  •     Work planning to minimise work disruption
•     Installation of emergency lighting and associated (fire grade) cabling;
•     Testing of lighting system;
  •     After installation as part of acceptance process;
  •     Periodically to ensure all systems are functioning;
•     Maintenance visits on a regular basis to keep all components in tip-top condition
•     Conduct periodic reviews to ensure that requirements have not changed (possibly as part of a Fire Risk Assessment).