Emergency Light Requirements

Various agencies, including OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) have developed regulations requiring the installation of emergency lights in all commercial and public facilities. These emergency lights are designed to assist personnel in exiting the facility in the case of an emergency or loss-of-power situation.

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Emergency lights turn on automatically, in the case of primary building power loss. Being connected to the building’s power grid, they sense this loss of power and illuminate, to assist personnel leaving the building. Regulations require that these lights remain illuminated for a minimum of 90 minutes in a power loss situation.

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Emergency lights are mandatory life safety fixtures. We offer them at affordable prices and have a wide selection of models.

Where do you Need Emergency Lights?

Emergency lighting regulations state that emergency lights must be installed in all work areas and the emergency egress routes from those work areas to the building’s exit points. This essentially means that all corridors in your building must have emergency lighting installed. They must also be installed outside the building, from the exit door to a public way or other safe assembly point.

How Much Light do you Need?

According to regulatory requirements, all egress routes must be lighted along their entirety to a minimum light level of 1 foot-candle of illumination, measured 1 foot above floor level. The actual distance between your emergency lights will need to be calculated, depending upon the voltage and wattage of the emergency lights you are going to install.

How Much Maintenance is Required?

All emergency lights and exit signs need to be tested on a monthly and annual basis. The units come equipped with an integral push button switch, which interrupts electrical power to the unit. This should cause it to turn on immediately, verifying the function of all parts of the emergency light. In the monthly test, you should also check the alignment of lamp heads, verifying that they are throwing the light where needed for easy egress of the facility.

In the annual test, power must be disconnected from the unit for a full 90 minutes, to insure that the lamps stay illuminated for that amount of time. Additionally, voltage levels for the battery and charging circuit must be verified. Units, especially the lenses, should be cleaned at this time, and the battery and its leads checked for corrosion.

Infrared remote control devices are available as an option for this testing, eliminating the need for a maintenance worker to climb up to the light’s location. Instead, he only presses a button on a remote control unit, and verifies the proper function of the light.

Learn More About Emergency Light Testing

How do you Pick the Right Lights for your Needs?

Emergency lights fall into four basic categories:

• Thermoplastic emergency lights – These units are more attractive and less expensive; they are commonly used in office areas. .
• Steel emergency lights – These units are considered “heavy duty” and are more durable for use in warehouse and factory areas.
• Wet area emergency lights – There is a distinction between “wet areas” and “damp areas” that basically covers whether rain can fall directly upon the light unit. Wet area lights are sealed to prevent water from entering and damaging circuitry. See the article on Outdoor Emergency Lights for more information on these lights.
• Explosion proof emergency lights – There are two main classes of lights used for areas where hazardous materials are used and stored. These lights are designed to prevent sparking that can cause fires. See our articles on Class 1 Div 1 Emergency Lights and Class 1 Div 2 Emergency Lights for more information about these types of lights.

Selecting the right lighting mostly consists of finding the lights that are most appropriate to your application, without having to spend more for lights than you need. While thermoplastic lights come in a wide variety of styles to match your office décor, the others are more simple designs, based more on utility than aesthetics.

Variances in Emergency Lighting Requirements

Emergency lighting regulations are pretty standard throughout the United States, with major variations only occurring in New York City and the City of Chicago. The basic emergency light requirements are that the path of egress (exit pathway) is illuminated by a small amount of light (1 foot-candle). This illumination needs to last at least 90 minutes, providing ample time to escape the building and also providing illumination for rescuers such as the fire department or police. Emergency lights are typically mounted 8 feet off of the ground and should be installed along hallways, throughout stairwells, and above exit doors. We offer combination exit sign with emergency light models that are a two for one solution, eliminating the need for two separate fixtures. Emergency lights are also required for outdoor corridors that lead to access to public property. In these instances, wet location emergency lights are required. Wet location emergency lights are waterproof and can handle cold temperatures. In extreme cases, such as in a power plant or oil refinery, hazardous location emergency lights are required. Hazardous location emergency lighting is designed with housings that can prevent the interaction between flammable/ignitable gases, vapors, or dust.

Contact Us Today!

Call us today at 800-480-0707 to speak with a customer service representative who will help you find the right emergency light for your application and answer any other questions you might have. You can also email our staff right now to request a quote, invoice, or for other information.

By Brad Wray+