It is a well-known fact that emergency lights have become an essential part of everyone’s lives. It is a measure to ensure the illumination of the building when the power goes off due to any reason. Moreover, The UK has made it mandatory for all buildings and premises to have these lights installed for quite a while now.
Emergency lighting systems are of many types, and these could be a little confusing sometimes for some people. The solution to this is to leave these sorts of work to the professionals.
They would inspect your premises thoroughly and would let you know the best course of action for you. You would first need to get a test done. You can get Emergency Light Testing here from the best people available in the market.
There are many things to be aware of and to keep in mind whilst getting an installation done. And given the vast variety of products and equipment available in the market, it could sometimes become a hectic task.
But do not worry, as the following article has got you covered. Below mentioned are 5 things that you should not miss while getting emergency lights and exit signs installed:
1. Get A Complete Inspection Done
One of the very first things to do if you have a building already constructed would be to get a complete inspection of the site from a team of experts.
There are many companies you can choose from which are available in the market.
You can use the online ratings and reviews posted by real-time customers as a basis for your selection process.
They would let you know which type of emergency lighting would work best for your premise and would also guide you through further steps and information.
If your building premises is already under construction, then you can hire a firm that would do the inspection and installations for you.
These days it is quite common to get these installed during the construction phase itself to save the inhabitants from any sort of trouble and/or inconvenience.
2. Choose The Various Equipment Based On The Information
Now that you have gotten your property inspected, and have a vivid picture of what needs to be done, the next step would be to ensure that only the most suitable equipment and supplies are bought.
There are many types of equipment based on the type of lighting your place requires. These could be the one-lux luminosity gears, which are ideal for critical places such as workstations, staircases, and corridors.
Or you could choose the half-lux luminosity gears for the outdoor and open areas. Intermixing these two would not serve the required purpose and would be a waste of resources and time.
3. The Placement Of Lights And Signs Is Crucial
The correct positioning and proper placement of these lights are of utmost importance as that would ensure the proper illumination of the place, thus leading to the smooth passage of people during times of need.
If you place the lights a little too high, then it might not light up the place the way you would want it to.
Additionally, the signs should be placed appropriately as these should be visible to the public. These signs should be indicative and understandable by all. Little things do matter, and these things are quite important.
4. The Luminance Of The Exit Signs
There are some standards priorly set to unify all the signs across the globe. The exit signs need to be written in white, with a green background contrast. This ensures that everyone can see and interpret the information.
Moreover, the White to Green luminance ratio must be 5:1 and 15:1. The signs can be internally or externally laminated, and that affects the minimum viewing distance of the same. Thus, you must be quite careful while getting these installed.
5. Get Monthly And Annual Checks Done
Once you are done with the installation, it becomes your responsibility to maintain the lights and ensure their proper functioning. You should check them yourself and look for any visible physical flaws and damage and get them repaired as soon as possible.
Moreover, getting an annual check done by a professional would be a good idea. They would run a few tests and again, would guide you from there.
Some Additional Points To Remember:
- Every exit door which leads out of the main building premise should be nicely visible and should have a clear “EXIT” sign on top of it so that everyone can see it properly.
- All exit signs must be illuminated all the time and should include a backup battery or an emergency lighting backup for continued illumination, just to be prepared in case of a power breakdown.
- The sign must consist of simple, legible text or clear images, and be a distinctive color that stands out from the background. The usual color pattern is white versus green which has been discussed above in detail.
- All escape route doors must not consist of any furnishings, decorations, or equipment that could obscure the exit or obstruct the exit sign.
- The line of sight and the minimum viewing distance to an exit sign must be kept clear at all times. If a hallway turns in any direction, then additional exit signs with directional indicators must be put in to show the way to the nearest exit.
- If the path of movement is not evident, signs must be installed along the exit path indicating the direction of the nearest exit.
- Doors that could easily be erroneous for an exit along the exit path must be labeled as “Not an Exit”, or “No Exit”, or should have a sign indicating the room’s use such as Closet, Storage, etc.
Conclusion:
Whether it is a legal requirement or not, it becomes the duty of the owners to ensure there is enough light and luminance during power outages.
Many good companies in the market are more than willing to help you with this situation and install some quality emergency lighting and escape signs.