Emergency lighting is an essential component for any business in contemporary times. It ensures a safe and smooth evacuation from a building during catastrophic events by providing illumination and enabling the people to see clearly, avoid obstacles, and move confidently to the nearest safe space amidst a crisis. The National Fire Code of Canada, 1995 mandates that all buildings have exit lighting, exit signs, and emergency lighting. Exit lighting and exit signs should be illuminated during the time a building is occupied, and emergency lights ought to be regularly maintained in conformance with governmental regulations.

Therefore, it is imperative for all building owners to hire a commercial electrical service and update the emergency lights. Now that we have touched upon the basics of emergency lighting let us dovetail into the topic of emergency light repair in further detail.

The Working of Emergency Lighting

Batteries that can be recharged in the event of a power outage are used to power emergency lights. The batteries are installed directly within the emergency lights or supplied to the source via a secondary backup power supply. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy to remember that it is essential that each emergency light remain active for at least three to four hours after a mains power supply outage. However, the minimum requirement is around one hour for cases wherein the occupants can evacuate the building rapidly. Some of the typical businesses that require a three-hour duration of emergency lighting system include sleeping accommodations such as hotels, hospitals, and boarding schools, recreational facilities like theatres and restaurants, and non-residential public buildings like libraries, shopping malls, etc. Consequently, some businesses requiring a one-hour emergency lighting system include industrial facilities, teaching centers, research facilities, and so forth. Now that we know the functioning of an emergency lighting system let us understand the different emergency lighting requirements as per the location of the building.

Top 4 Emergency Lighting For Different Locations – An Overview

1. Emergency Lighting for Open Areas – Also known as anti-panic areas, an open area is a quickest and safest route during an emergency, wherein evacuation of people is also less dangerous. Thus, emergency lighting in an open area must be lit by at least 1 lux. However, in case the open area is not a part of the escape route and is less than sixty square meters, emergency lighting is not required to begin with.

2. Emergency Lighting for Escape Routes – An escape route must be lit by a minimum of 1 lux during an evacuation. It’s also important to make sure the path is clear of any obstacles that could trigger a stampede in the event of an evacuation.

3. Emergency Lighting for Stairwells – Owning to the heightened possibility of hazards and untoward incidents during an emergency at a stairwell, it is mandated that a minimum of 2 lux light such areas.

4. Emergency Lighting for High-risk Task Areas – Some areas of a building may contain complex and high-risk machinery, chemicals and appliances. As a result, operators must exercise extreme caution when turning off machinery and equipment because they may not be able to escape in time in the event of an emergency. Therefore, high-risk task areas of a building have to be illuminated with fittings of at least 15 lux.

In addition, some other building areas that may require emergency lighting include lifts and moving staircases, corridor intersections, toilet facilities if they are larger than eight square meters, etc. Again, an adept commercial electrical agency is needed to guide building owners with the installation, repair, maintenance, and even replacement of the emergency lighting system.

Types of Emergency Lighting

There exist a massive assortment of emergency light fixtures, and some of the common ones are –

Maintained Emergency Lights –

They work as a standard light fitting during regular times and are connected and controlled with all other lights of a building together. A maintained emergency light provides normal levels of illumination when the mains power is available and will operate on battery power at reduced illumination when the mains power fails. They are typically used in car parks and fire stairs.

Non-maintained Emergency Lights –

They are not illuminated until the main power fails. Non-maintained emergency lights are not connected to the mains and are usually used as emergency exits in commercial offices.

Combined Emergency Lights –

They consist of two or more lights, wherein at least one of them is powered up from the emergency ballast, and the other is powered via the standard mains electricity supply.

Now that we know about the nitty-gritty of emergency lighting systems let us get into the details of their repair and replacement.

Emergency Light Repair in Edmonton – A Crucial And Constant Need

The National Fire Code of Canada mandates that building owners should regularly maintain and repair emergency lighting systems. There are heavy penalties such as fines, building limitations, imprisonment, etc., in case of inconsistencies and slacking with timely repair and replacement of emergency lighting. Therefore, regular testing and repair of emergency lighting systems are crucial to ensure the safety of people and also to stay away from legal troubles.

Some of the common glitches that may mandate the repairing of your building’s emergency lighting include –

• Faulty backup batteries
• Faulty bulbs or filaments
• Faulty lights
• Incorrect wiring
• Charging LED indicator not working and much more

Getting in touch with a certified commercial electrical service provider that deals with emergency lighting repair in Edmonton is crucial for every building owner or business venture. Various manual and automatic tests are available nowadays to investigate the functioning of an emergency lighting system and take action accordingly.

Conclusion

So, there we have it, a comprehensive overview of emergency lighting systems. Needless to say, an emergency light system is a veritable requirement for any commercial building or other types of public spaces susceptible to evacuation risks. They ease the process of moving people away from an area during crises and avoid tragedies of all sorts. Moreover, the Canadian Building regulations mandate installing and regularly repairing emergency lights, and failure to do so carries hefty penalties.