Why is the spacing and siting of emergency lighting so important?
UK fire safety legislation states that people in premises must be able to find their way to a place of total safety if there is a fire by using escape routes that have sufficient illumination.
The regulations, standards, and guidance on this issue are comprehensive and designed to ensure that each building’s particular needs are thoroughly examined and understood.
BS 5266, the code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises, offers guidance on the positioning of luminaires, minimum light levels, acceptable glare levels and minimum routine testing schedules. It states that, in open areas larger than 60 square metres, emergency lighting and signage should be installed.
Does BS 5266 provide all the information I need on this subject?
Not exactly. What it does do is provide a minimum standard that should be applied. It also gives guidance on specific hazards and points of emphasis that have to be accounted for.
The risk assessment that must be undertaken by a responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 should identify any specific areas that must be addressed. This includes making sure that the emergency lighting system is fit for purpose and is regularly tested and maintained.
It is important to bear in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all way of assessing the risk within a building. Buildings are all built differently and have specific uses. For instance, a hospital or home for the elderly will have different fire safety needs than an office.
What counts as a point of emphasis?
When designing an emergency lighting system covering escape routes, luminaires should be installed at points of emphasis — mandatory locations that need to highlight specific hazards, safety equipment, and signs.
They should be installed at points of emphasis, such as areas near stairs, at changes of level, and near fire-fighting equipment and manual call points. Placement should occur at each change of direction, outside and close to each final exit, at first aid points, at exit doors, and near safety signs.
I’m about to install an emergency lighting system in a building that is used primarily by disabled people. Are there any particular requirements?
Any non-domestic building with more than one storey should provide a means of refuge for any person who cannot easily use fire escapes, lifts, and stairs. It is important to recognise that a disabled refuge should be illuminated to a higher level of illumination than normal escape routes.
Additional emergency lighting should be provided in toilet facilities and other similar areas exceeding 8 suqare metres floor area or with no borrowed light, and all toilets for the disabled.
What are the minimum lux levels that need to be achieved?
Achieving the correct lux level is a must. BS 5266 recommends a minimum of 1 lux in escape routes and 0.5 lux in open areas. Emergency lighting should also be positioned in such a way as to ensure that people are free from disability glare, which can prevent obstructions or signs from being properly seen.
There are also other areas identified in BS 5266 part 10 where higher levels of illumination are required. These include kitchens, first aid rooms, treatment rooms, plant rooms, reception areas, and crash bars at exit doors.
Once again, it is important to remember that these figures represent the minimum requirements, so in certain circumstances there may be a need for higher lux levels. This is something that should also be considered during the risk assessment.
What are the key things to consider when locating emergency luminaires?
Not all manufacturers’ products are the same. Therefore, you need to look at the spacing guide for the specific products being used and site the luminaires according to what is needed to produce the correct lux level. This means that you may need more of one manufacturer’s products than another to achieve the same result.
Also, the correct luminaire should be chosen to suit the application and minimise damage to the unit. For instance, you would need to use a different type of luminaire in a plant room than you would in an office.
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I thought BS 5266 Part 10 you mention in the atricle had been superseded and the advice instead placed in BS 5266 Part 1?
I am glad you stressed the BS only gives a basic coverage as it doesn’t seem to cover the former advice re permanent areas of darkness or other points for maintained lighting.
Len you have highlighted a very important aspect which is clearly missing while the blue print is being passed for any building at least in our region. Most of the times the plan was there but there is no authority taking pain to check whether things have been implemented or not. I think if proper illumination of exit or safety areas are ensured we can safe numerous lived at the day of the incident.
with fire safety you could pay now or pay later… same problem we have in Canada even with the new buildings… in my books emergency exit proper elimination is a must… and need to be addressed in blueprints/design from beginning… as correct way vs incorrect could be a cost of human life… and future liability…
That’s right, it has been superseded by BS5266-1:2011 : http://shop.bsigroup.com/en/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000030263986
Yes, well this is an important part of an evacuation plan. It would be good to see such measures taken on in countries where it is not used. Where are you, Sri Lanka?
Rob its sub continent basically. I have noticed that rules and regulations do exists and once approving the blue print its a necessary thinh but once thinhs got on ground no body takes pain and the things have been highlighted once any incident is reported claiming several lives but its already too late to recover the damage. Recently a fire broke out in a 7 story building claiming tens of lives as there were no safe exit illumination. The media was reporting live footages and we saw 2-3 people lost their lives by jum ping out of windows infront of… Read more »
It is amazing how much the fire safety codes differ for builders around the world. My husband is a builder in the US and anything that has to do with fire code is in the blueprint of the building.
yes, same in Canada… but other places in the world is other story… in easten europe anything goes, this days… it sad… as people die if firesafety get overlooked bypassed…
Hm, obviously if there’s no change made then this isn’t good enough, simple as that. What can one do to force the hand of the businesses? (Very little I suspect)
@Alexander Stephens
Yes it is sad, and we keep hearing about people dying in fires all over the world. We always wonder why they don’t fix it…but I think maybe in some countries and some situations they don’t know how to fix it. I think somehow the countries that are educated in fire prevention and saftey should be trying to educate the ones that are not.
yes, you are right… it would make sense… on the larger or even smaller scale…
@ batye
This makes me wonder…are there any international fire safety standards or regulations?
they exist in some cases only on paper so to say…
@ batye
That is a good point. I have always wondered what good a regulation really is if it is not enforced. It always looks good on paper, and they can say “hey we have regulations, they are all here in black and white”…but it does little good if no one reads tha paper..and even less good if they don’t comply with the regulations.
Yes, in Canada we do have this problem… everything look good on paper… but in reality … it sad…
Well, quite. Regulation without teeth is, to use your words, just a piece of paper, worth nothing.
If you live in a country where the requirements to have such adequate emergency lighting are not there then I would suggest that you should still look to international approved codes simply to ensure the safety of your workers.
It is surprising how much codes differ from place to place. European and American standards remain the dominant ones, but even then there are contradictions between, for instance, a British and a German standard, or in the US even from state to state.
@ batye
It is very sad. And what angers me is that many of these regulations could save lives, if only they were enforced. =(
@ Rob
You would think that eventually people would learn from the mistakes of others…but its back to the old saying “that will never happen to me”….
@ Rob
Your right, in the US codes could vary from city to city as well as state to state. There are a lot of laws and regulations to keep straight. We do have relatively good enforcement and some pretty steep penalties for non-compliance as well.
I also think that there needs to be a sensible approach to non-compliance. Is a building in breach because the rules are confusing for instance? If so, how can we help demystify the rules.
@ Rob
That is a good point. People need to be educated on the regulations, and they need to be written to be understood by the average Joe.