T H WHITE specialises in the maintenance and remedial work associated with emergency lighting systems. As a specialist electrical contractor we have much experience in this sector.
Emergency lighting is lighting that takes effect in an emergency when the main power supply is cut, and any normal illumination fails. Emergency lighting is normally required to operate fully automatically and give illumination of a sufficiently high level to enable all occupants to evacuate the premises safely. An emergency light is a battery-backed lighting device that switches on automatically when a building experiences a power outage. Such lights are standard in commercial and high occupancy residential buildings.
Every building will have its own specific requirements in respect of emergency escape illumination, the role of which, as noted above, is to take over from the normal lighting provision in the event of a power or circuit failure. Of course, these levels of ‘normal’ lighting will vary, even within an individual building. Different areas inside will have different levels of natural illumination: for example, rooms with external windows have the benefit of daylight, while unglazed, internal areas such as corridors and stairwells must always have lighting provided.
Emergency lighting can be ‘maintained’ which means on all the time, or ‘non-maintained’, which normally is off and only operates when the normal lighting fails. Systems that kick-in on failure of normal lighting should operate for one, two or three hours, depending on the application but in practice most emergency lights are active for three hours.
Emergency lights should be tested annually in line with the manufacturers recommendations at varying intervals over a 12-month period, T H WHITE’s Energy, Fire & Security team provide a full range of Installation and maintenance services that comply to British Standards – BS5266 and we are BAFE SP203-4 accredited for maintenance of emergency lighting systems.
Discuss your emergency lighting needs with us today
