SPECIAL FEATURE
EMERGENCY LIGHTING
EMERGENCY LIGHTING: EVERYONE’S LIFELINE BUT NO ONE’S PROBLEM? Anthony Martindale, Field Product Manager, Lighting at Eaton, outlines the dangers of emergency lighting compliance falling between the (accountability) cracks.
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n effective and compliant emergency lighting system acts as a critical lifeline in crisis situations. Yet all too often it falls victim to a potentially deadly combination of a ‘fit and forget’ approach with a ‘not my problem’ mentality. No one wants to take ownership of ongoing compliance checks. The reality is emergency lighting compliance is not a one-off tick box exercise. It needs to be an evolving process. Building use and safety risks must be revisited on a regular basis. So, how can electrical contractors, specifiers, consultants and building owners create accountability, ensure ongoing compliance and avoid the growing penalties for falling short of safety standards?
The risks of non-compliance
Emergency lighting in a building can quickly fall out of compliance, due to damage, lack of testing and irregular maintenance
From national fire safety legislation to application and product standards for emergency lighting luminaires, automatic test systems and more, a combination of regulations exist to ensure emergency lighting is fit for purpose and protect building occupants. However, this regulation is only effective at maintaining building safety standards if steps are taken to ensure compliance. Unfortunately, emergency lighting in a building can – and does – quickly fall out of compliance, due to damage, lack of testing and irregular maintenance.
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When emergency lighting standards are not met, there are severe consequences. The primary concern is that buildings become unsafe – resulting in loss of life or injury when disaster strikes. According to Home Office statistics, fire and rescue services attended 153,957 fires in England between April 2019 and March 2020. Sadly, these statistics also include 243 fire-related fatalities in England during this period. Clearly, there is no room for cutting corners when it comes to protecting life and property. Yet in addition to the human toll, there are also severe financial and reputational consequences. Negative press from an incident linking a brand with non-compliance when it comes to building safety can be huge. Consequences range from damaged brand loyalty amongst customers to a drop in share prices. Additionally, while the use of fire safety equipment can aid in the reduction of insurance premiums, it can also have the opposite impact when done incorrectly. Insurance companies can use non-compliance with fire safety orders as a reason to avoid paying out.
Assess the risks to ensure compliance One key element of the compliance landscape is the EN50172 standard that sets out the requirements for emergency lighting. It highlights that when the supply to all or part of the normal lighting in occupied premises fails, escape lighting is required to indicate escape routes clearly and unambiguously; provide illumination to allow safe movement towards and through provided exits; ensure that fire alarm call points and firefighting equipment can be readily located; and permit operations concerned with safety measures. This EN50172 standard – which also applies to standby lighting used as emergency escape lighting – recommends that discussions should be held pre-design to establish the areas to be covered, method of operation, testing regime and most suitable system type. These discussions should include the owner or occupier of the premises, plus the system designer, installer, equipment supplier and fire authority. In fact, every building operator or owner is independently required to conduct their own risk assessment to identify areas for mitigation. These shine a light on specific risks to consider when designing an emergency lighting system, including the building’s scale and
complexity profile, what activities take place inside and the profile of building users. For example, hospital occupants are likely to need extra assistance when exiting the building during an emergency. Comparatively, the facility manager at a football stadium will have to consider vast numbers of visitors, many of whom may not be familiar with their surroundings. Lifecycle costs and approach to maintenance and servicing are additional elements to take into account as part of this risk assessment. This step is key to choosing the right emergency lighting system for a specific building and getting on the path to compliance.
While the use of fire safety equipment can aid in the reduction of insurance premiums, it can also have the opposite impact when done incorrectly
Time to take responsibility Sadly, emergency lighting compliance often falls between the accountability cracks. For instance, building owners and facilities managers often employ third parties to test systems – washing their hands of responsibility for compliance. Yet when disaster strikes and avoidable injuries or fatalities occur, who is really responsible? Ultimately, the owner or manager of the building has a moral responsibility to ensure a thorough risk assessment is conducted, acted upon and continually updated. In most countries, the obligation to implement such a process is enshrined in law. Every building owner has a role to play to ensure that fire fatality statistics don’t go up on their watch. Building owners and facilities managers must do their due diligence and ask the right questions to better understand the fundamentals of emergency lighting. To avoid the consequences of non-compliance, clear lines of responsibility and a proactive approach to maintaining an effective and compliant emergency lighting system are vital. Eaton, eaton.com
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17/12/2020 10:08
