Imagine a sudden power outage in a busy shopping centre or office building. Everyone is panicking as they try to find nearby exits, and there’s a lot of scrambling, noise and tripping accidents. Sounds like chaos, right? Truth be told, such uproar and disorder can be easily prevented with an efficient emergency lighting installation.
Emergency lighting plays a critical role in guiding occupants to safety during blackouts, fires, or other emergencies. These lighting units are a safety and legal requirement in commercial buildings, hospitals, or apartment complexes.
In Australia, there are strict building regulations that mandate the installation and maintenance of emergency lighting to ensure a safe evacuation in workplaces and public spaces. That said, let’s take a deep dive as we explore all that you need to know about emergency lighting.
What is Emergency Lighting Installation?
Emergency lighting is a backup lighting system designed to operate when the main power supply in a building fails. It ensures that people can safely navigate their surroundings and exit a building during emergencies such as power outages, fires, stampedes, or other dangerous situations.
Unlike standard lighting, which relies on a continuous power source, emergency lighting has backup batteries or alternative power systems. Emergency lighting is very vital in workplaces, public buildings, and high-occupancy areas where sudden darkness can lead to confusion, injury or accidents.
Some emergency lighting systems use backup power sources like rechargeable batteries or centralised generators which automatically activate when a power failure occurs. Some others are connected to a central power unit, and they supply emergency lighting throughout an entire building. Some other types also use self-contained units where each fixture has its independent battery.
Types of Emergency Lighting
There are many types of emergency lighting with different features and purposes. The following are the major classifications of these lightings:
Exit Signs
These are permanently illuminated signs that mark exit doors. They are a legal requirement in workplaces, apartment complexes, shopping centres, and other public spaces. Exit signs use backup batteries or central power sources because they must remain lit at all times.
Emergency Escape Lighting
It’s one thing for exits to be lit, it’s another thing for the people in the building to find their way to the exit. Also called luminaries, emergency escape lighting ensures hallways, stairwells, and passageways to emergency exits remain visible during an outage. It illuminates exit pathways so that people can move safely towards exit points.
Maintained Emergency Lighting
This type of lighting doesn’t only come on during emergencies. It stays on at all times but works as emergency lighting because it switches to battery power during a blackout. It’s commonly found in theatres, hospitals and venues where constant lighting is crucial.
Non-Maintained Emergency Lighting
Unlike the maintained lighting that stays on at all times, emergency lighting installations remain off during normal operations and only come on when the main power supply fails. It’s more suitable in workplaces and factories where emergency lighting is only needed in an outage.
High-Output Emergency Lighting
High-output emergency lighting provides very bright lighting and is used for areas that require strong illumination, such as factories and emergency response centres.
Standby Lighting
Standby lighting is another type of emergency lighting, but unlike others, it’s not used for evacuation, escaping or exiting a building. Instead, it provides temporary lighting for businesses to continue operating safely during a power outage.
Importance of Emergency Lighting in Enhancing Public Safety
In Australia, Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws and AS 2293 (emergency lighting standards) impose the use of emergency lighting for commercial buildings. Australian laws require businesses and property owners to install and maintain emergency lighting; non-compliance can lead to legal penalties, fines, and liability for injuries. Compliance aside, here are a few more reasons why office owners and property managers must care about emergency lighting installations:
Accident Prevention
One of the most critical roles of emergency lighting is accident prevention.
When a power outage happens, it becomes difficult to navigate staircases, corridors, and exit routes. The risk is even greater in workplaces that contain heavy machinery, sharp tools, and uneven surfaces. Without proper emergency lighting, people are at a higher risk of tripping, falling or colliding with objects, which can lead to serious injuries.
Safe Evacuation
Emergencies like power outages or fire outbreaks may cause panic and scramble and put everyone under pressure. Everyone is worried and wants to find the closest way out. The stampede in these situations may even cause more harm than the emergency itself. However, with suitable emergency lighting, everyone can see clearly, act promptly and exit the building without much commotion.
Support for First Responders
Firefighters, paramedics and emergency responders use emergency lighting to navigate buildings and rescue individuals in need of assistance.
Business Continuity
Emergency lighting ensures that essential operations can continue in critical environments like healthcare facilities, labs, data centres and factories during unexpected power outages. They help safeguard your employees, equipment and business reputation, thus minimising disruption and financial loss.
Conclusion
Emergency lighting plays a critical role in protecting lives and properties during emergencies. In fact, a well-set-up emergency lighting system might be the difference between life and death.
So, if you own a commercial space or office building, treat yourself with peace of mind! Contact reliable local electricians today and hire them to set up emergency lighting on your premises.
