Mike Collins, Sales Director at OVIA, looks at the self-test area of the emergency lighting sector and how it can save building owners time and money

TESTING TIMES FOR EMERGENCY LIGHTING

Mike Collins, Sales Director at OVIA, looks at the self-test area of the emergency lighting sector and how it can save building owners time and money.

Emergency lighting is a intensive and expensive task. However, activated, with the results shown via an legal requirement in with the latest improvements in technology, LED indicator on the light. The responsible almost every building, routine testing can be simple, automatic person only needs to check the indicator with one simple, and therefore much less expensive. It and it means that only lights with reported life-saving task: to is now possible for building owners to faults will need to be attended to by provide light if a power take advantage of emergency lighting maintenance personnel. outage shuts down a equipment that ‘self-tests’ in accordance During initial power up of a self-test building’s standard with the relevant standards. unit, an automatic commissioning stage will operational lighting. It is the responsibility of Installing self-test emergency begin. The internal clock will commence building owners and responsible persons to lighting units can reduce the burden of at a random time between 0 and 24 hours prove that the emergency lighting systems testing emergency lighting installations – this avoids the luminaires all going into they are responsible for are working as they perform all mandatory testing test at the same time. After the initial correctly and are regularly maintained so automatically, removing the need for charge up time (up to 72 hours), the unit that they are in full working order. manual testing to be carried out by the will carry out a full duration test. After all

All emergency lighting installations user or building owner. The resulting initial tests are completed successfully, the must have routine tests carried out, in reduction of labour time leads to inevitable inbuilt processor will start the standard accordance with BS EN50712, with each cost savings. Whilst the initial costs for programmed test schedule, reporting failing system luminaire the subject of daily, the products may be higher, overall they functions via the status LED. In addition, monthly and annual testing. These tests will provide a very short payback period - it is also possible to initiate a manual test should all be documented with the results, making them an ideal option that should on self-test emergency lighting fittings for including maintenance and rectification be given consideration at the beginning of extra peace of mind. results, all held on file. any project. Emergency light test switches offer a

Whilst the testing of emergency lighting The benefits of self-test emergency simple, retrofit solution to testing existing does not take much effort and isn’t difficult, light units include ease of installation, with emergency lighting fittings. They are manually inspecting every single lighting no need for key switches or data cables, designed to test batteries, lamps and luminaire for lamp starting, operation and for example. Convenience is also a major duration function of emergency lighting duration performance can be a very labour plus, with mandatory tests carried out luminaires in accordance with current without disruption to the normal use of emergency lighting standard BS5266. the building, and any faults identified. The These automatic, key-operated emergency self-test units identify faults in luminaires lighting test switches are permanently and any faults are then highlighted to wired to the emergency luminaire maintenance personnel, saving them the supply. The key switch is used to interrupt time and effort it would take to search the the supply for a pre-programmed period of building in question for faults. time. At the end of that period, the supply to Self-test units use an accurate internal the luminaries is automatically reinstated, clock programmed to interrupt the so there’s no risk of depleting the batteries permanent mains supply at set intervals, in the emergency fitting by leaving them All emergency lighting installations must have routine initiating duration emergency weekly and lighting monthly tests. tests Short and connected for prolonged periods. tests carried out annual full duration tests are automatically OVIA, oviauk.com