When people panic some of the simplest things can be forgotten, like which way to go to leave the building. Emergency lights are beacons that facilitate an orderly evacuation. Emergency lighting and exit signs placed strategically throughout the building can help occupants find their way out in a timely and calm manner.
During an emergency, it is critical that the lighting equipment designed to save lives functions properly. Power outages occur during a fire, lightning storms, if the electrical grid is overloaded, or any number of other reasons. Emergency lights run on backup batteries and go into effect when a building’s main power source goes out. They can be either incandescent or LED lights placed along corridors, indicating a pathway for evacuation, at stairwells and exit points. They are also installed at emergency points, fire pull stations, or fire control panels where they function as emergency task lights.
There are three types of emergency lights:
- Non-maintained only come on if the power fails.
- Maintained are always on but switch to battery-powered during a power failure.
- Sustained have two lamps – one is powered by the building’s electricity and one illuminates via battery power in an emergency.
When emergency lights don’t work properly, navigating areas such as stairwells, internal offices, restrooms, storage areas and other spaces with little or no natural light can be dangerous. In addition to helping people exit a building, emergency lighting guides building occupants to flashlights, safe spaces, and first aid cabinets. It can also help people locate others who may need assistance. If a fire occurs, emergency lights can be vitally important in safely guiding people to an exit and helping firefighters navigate an unfamiliar building to locate anyone left behind. Maintaining emergency lighting is an important part of a safety program.
Fire Control Systems can design an emergency lighting system that suits your building and helps protect its occupants.
