Is Emergency Lighting a Legal Requirement?

Health and safety has never been as prominent in today’s society. There is an increasing number of rules and regulations that businesses and organisations must follow to keep members of the public and their staff safe. With a range of regulations to follow, business owners may not be knowledgeable on them all. One such grey area may be emergency lighting.

What Is Emergency Lighting?
As the name suggests, emergency lighting is lighting that is used in an emergency. If the power to a building is cut because of a fire or any other reason, then the people inside may be left in darkness which can be very dangerous. Emergency lighting is a system that provides temporary illumination, which will then allow members of the public or staff to reach the nearest exit. More commonly mentioned and highlighted before departure on a plane, this form of lighting is just as important in buildings as it helps people get to safety.

Is Emergency Lighting a Legal Requirement?
Since the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order of 2005, Emergency lighting is now covered by a series of interdependent standards. These regulations require businesses owners or managers to conduct a risk assessment, rearrange emergency lighting after a building refurbishment and follow emergency lighting standards for installations, products and testing. Failure to meet these standards could lead to a hefty fine or even imprisonment.

Where is Emergency Escape Lighting Necessary?
There are three main aspects of emergency escape lighting, which is escape route lighting, open area anti-panic area lighting and high-risk task area lighting. As noted in the HM Government publication, an emergency escape lighting system should illuminate escape routes to each exit door, intersections of corridors, outside escape routes, stairways, changes in floor level, lifts, fire equipment and alarms, windowless rooms and equipment that would need to be manually shut down.

Where Can I Purchase Emergency Lighting?
Being a requirement for buildings, it is important that if a business or organisation doesn’t already have emergency lighting, that it is installed as soon as possible. This equipment should be reliable, robust and able to provide light for a long amount of time without the need for the building's power. You can find a range of emergency lighting here.