Emergency lighting is a very important component of any emergency safety system. In the event of power failure, whether due to a simple power cut or a more serious cause like fire, it will activate and light the way to safety for everyone in your building.
If people are plunged into sudden darkness it can be a very traumatic experience and panic and disorder can soon set in. Even if you think you know a room or building well it is still very easy to get disorientated, lose your way and delay a safe exit. The risk of injury is also high as people can easily knock into obstacles like desks. If stairs are involved there is even more risk of a harmful accident.
It is therefore imperative that people can easily find their way to the nearest exit through well lit rooms, corridors and stairwells as quickly as possible.
As a responsible employer or property owner you should have emergency lighting installed in the building – whether this is maintained or non-maintained, fluorescent or LED.
You’ll know to regularly test your smoke alarms and other devices in your fire alarm system and the same ethos must be applied to emergency lighting too as it is just as important in the effective evacuation of people from a dangerous situation.
Help ensure the safety of your workers by regularly checking your emergency lighting systems are operating optimally. Regularly testing your emergency lighting will allow you to see if there are any faults in the system, any delays in lighting activation and even simply to see if any bulbs need to be changed.
One way you can test your emergency lighting is through the use of Crabtree Emergency Lighting Test Grid Switch. This is a key-operated unit that simulates a mains power failure in the emergency lighting wiring and causes the emergency lights to activate and draw electricity from their reserve power sources.
If you are in any doubt over your obligations and the regulations affecting emergency lighting testing there are several British Standards that you can refer to, particularly BS EN 50172:2004 and BS 5266-8:2004.
Both the Crabtree Grid Switch, Rockergrid. Key Op. DP, “Emergency Lighting Test” 20AX and the Crabtree Grid Switch Emergency Lighting Test Key are available from Discount Fire Supplies.
Discount Fire Supplies sell a range of fire alarms, fire alarm accessories and much more. Browse our online shop or contact us for a quote today.
