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Buildings can be plunged into darkness if there is a power failure, which might be caused by the outbreak of fire within the building or because of an electrical fault far away from the premises. People must be able to find their way out of the building safely, which is why emergency lighting is used in many public spaces and workplaces.
Emergency lighting can range from self-contained or central battery systems which are a part of the electrical installation, but even the smallest of premises can have emergency lighting through using torches and similar equipment which is readily available.
Emergency lighting requirements
The emergency lighting that you provide in your Church or Place of Worship depends on the size of the building, along with some other factors:
- How many people use the building
- The use of the building at night time
- Locations of the building where there are no windows to let in outside light
- The availability of 'borrowed' lighting from, say, street lights
Consideration also needs to be given to those hazards that would be made worse by a power cut, including dangerous machinery or areas (such as boiler rooms) and places that could pose a serious safety hazard, such as steps.
After this assessment, it might be the case that there is no need for emergency lighting. Typically, this is the outcome if you do not use the building in the night and there are windows to let in natural light, meaning that no person would be in any danger if the lights went off.
Emergency Lighting Types
In small Places of Worship where a few people meet, you may be able to use a handful of torches which are kept in convenient places (such as next to the organ, in the pulpit and near exit doors). Some torches have a charger which plugs into a mains socket, and these torches usually come on automatically when the mains power fails and would be preferred to other torches. Small fluorescent torches might provide a better distribution of light than a normal torch.
Self-contained emergency light fittings contain a battery charger, a rechargeable battery and a light source, which is usually an 8-watt fluorescent tube. Some units have spotlights, and these are ideal for taller rooms or large spaces (such as many Churches and Cathedrals), where it is not otherwise practical to install emergency lighting.
Emergency lighting units are available in two broad categories:
- Non-Maintained. These only light when the power goes off and will usually last for 3 hours. These would be in addition to the existing lighting.
- Maintained. These lights can be on all of the time, such as those lights that show up an exit. Sometimes, these types of light can be turned on and off with a switch, but would automatically light whenever the power goes off.
Most of the time, non-maintained units would be installed. Maintained lights should usually be installed for exits and exit signs as a preference to non-maintained fittings if the room is used in darkness (such as for a theatrical or film presentation). As a minimum, emergency lighting should last for 3 hours in a power failure, but other time durations might be desirable.
Note that it is not usually considered acceptable to use real flame (candles, oil lamps and suchlike) as an emergency lighting source.
Where to install fittings
The main purpose of the emergency lighting is to ensure people can find an exit or fire exit safely. Emergency lights should be installed along corridors, on stairs, near fire exits and fire extinguishers or fire alarm call points as well as at exit doors. The area directly outside of the final exit door should also be lit up by an emergency light.
Additional emergency lighting is usually necessary in larger rooms, within disabled toilets, near electrical fuse boxes, fire alarm control panels, fire fighting equipment and anywhere else where people could be in danger in a power cut or might need a source of lighting.
It is not always practical to install standard emergency lighting because the installation might affect historic building features. In such cases, specialist advise should be sought on the use of "central battery" systems and fibre-optic "way guidance" systems. Central battery systems operate from a central charger unit, which means the light fittings themselves might be smaller.
Testing
All emergency lights need to be checked from time to time. For lights that are on all the time, which are known as maintained lights, you should check that the unit is lit every time you use the building as part of the standard opening-up routine. In any case, all lights have a power on or charging light, which is often red on older units and green on newer ones.
All mains powered units need to be tested for a functional test for about 10 minutes every month. Test them for a duration of one hour every six months and three hours every year, remembering to get the rechargeable battery pack replaced after five years. Lamps should also be changed from time to time, especially maintained units and those that see significant use (such as those in a rural setting prone to many short-duration power cuts).
Switches are usually wired into the lighting circuits to help you test the emergency lights. You often need to use a special key, but some are operated by holding a magnet next to the light fitting and some lights have a simple push button on them. If none of these are available, you will need to turn off the lighting circuits at the mains fuse box or consumer unit.
If you use torches, simply check that they work by briefly turning on the torch on a weekly basis and change the batteries every few months to make sure that they are not going to be flat when you need to use them. With rechargeable torches, the batteries should be replaced every few years as the ability for a battery to retain a full charge diminishes with age.
You need to make a note of when you tested your emergency lights (you could use a note book for this). Also, make a note of anything that did not work and what you have done (or are going to do) to fix any problems.
Additional Information
A competent electrician, safety systems designer or building services engineer should be consulted about the installation of emergency lighting. It is recommended that all emergency lighting systems fulfil the requirements set out in British Standard BS5266.
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