Understanding Emergency Lighting Systems
Part of our educational life safety series for building owners, this article explains what an emergency lighting system is, how they work, their key features and benefits and why your building needs one.
Part of our educational life safety series for building owners, this article explains what an emergency lighting system is, how they work, their key features and benefits and why your building needs one.
Emergency lighting systems are life safety installations designed to provide illumination during power failures or emergency situations, ensuring safe evacuation routes remain visible when normal lighting fails. These systems are governed by strict European standards, particularly EN 50172 and EN 1838, which establish comprehensive requirements for design, installation, and maintenance to protect building occupants across the European Union.
For building owners, emergency lighting represents a critical safety infrastructure that not only ensures compliance with legal requirements but also provides essential protection for occupants during crisis situations. Unlike standard lighting systems, emergency lighting operates independently of the main electrical supply, activating automatically when normal power is interrupted.
Emergency lighting has undergone significant technological advancement over recent decades. Early systems relied on basic incandescent bulbs powered by large lead-acid batteries, requiring frequent maintenance and offering limited operational life. Modern emergency lighting systems have evolved to incorporate LED technology, intelligent monitoring capabilities, and sophisticated battery management systems.
Contemporary systems feature self-testing capabilities, extended battery life, and improved energy efficiency. The introduction of LED technology has revolutionized emergency lighting by providing brighter illumination with significantly reduced power consumption, extending operational duration during emergencies while reducing maintenance requirements.
Emergency lighting systems function through a network of luminaires strategically positioned throughout buildings to ensure adequate illumination along escape routes, in high-risk areas, “points of emphasis” and in open spaces where occupants might congregate during evacuation.
Based on a centralised array of high-powered batteries that feeds multiple emergency lights throughout a building through cabling.
Comprising mains-powered luminaires and exit signs that switch to a battery back-up in the event of a power failure.
Based on lighting and other field devices, designed to be self-contained, i.e. they feature integral batteries to power the units during an emergency.
Regardless of type, these systems typically comprise several key components:
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