Is Your Emergency Lighting Up to Scratch?

In the event of an emergency are you confident that your building is completely safe? If there is a fire, power outage or flooding, your company can’t afford to be left in the dark so ensuring your emergency lighting in Derbyshire is well maintained and working efficiently, is a safety must.

Cover the Basics

Emergency lighting is a broad term that covers many different types of lighting in the workplace, that are designed to illuminate an area, even when power is cut. Every business requires one or a combination of types of emergency lighting such as, emergency escape lighting, escape route lighting, standby lighting, open area lighting and high-risk task area lighting. The type of industry, number of employees and risk of emergency all govern which types will be required so ensuring that you check the legal parameters for your business is the first port of call. If you need a new emergency lighting installation in Derbyshire, give us a call.

Regular Testing

Just like with a fire alarm, the key to ensuring safety in buildings involves regular testing of your emergency lighting. Waiting until there is an emergency only to find that the back-up battery has failed, and employees can’t clearly see the escape route could be dangerous and disastrous. Simulating a power outage by turning off the mains and inspecting the lighting should be done at least once a month, preferably by a professional who will be able to explain any areas of concern and make suggestions for improvements.

Annual Testing

While manual testing is required once per month, emergency lighting will require a full duration test once a year. This process simulates a power failure and the test is carried out for the rated duration that the system is designed to, normally three hours. This is to confirm the condition of the back-up batteries that power emergency lighting are sufficient and to ensure that each installation is meeting its requirements. This test must be carried out by a competent professional who will supply the business with periodic inspection and issue a test certificate to certify compliance.

If you require emergency lighting in Derbyshire, give our team a call on 01782 595 600.