Whether it's a public establishment, such as a hotel, restaurant, school, or office, or a simple residence, safety lighting solutions are essential elements for the safety of occupants. They help better guide individuals towards emergency exits in case of fire, alert, or panic in the building, as evacuating often occurs in an anxiety-inducing environment.
The installation of one or more safety lights is recommended and is governed by safety standards. For BAES or autonomous emergency lighting units, they must last for at least one hour. The BAEH, H for housing, must have an autonomy of five hours. Safety lighting should be on standby during the operation of the building and activated as soon as the main power supply fails.
Generally, emergency units are composed of:
- casing;
- charge indicator;
- light source;
- pictogram;
- battery;
- diffuser.
The pictogram or signage must be as clear as possible to facilitate the identification of emergency exits at a glance. Furthermore, it should be uniform to maintain the same logic at all locations. Thus, the arrow should always point in the direction of the exit.
To avoid making mistakes when choosing the best safety lighting, one must adhere to the assigned flux, light source, IP protection grade, standards, and the Sati system.
The assigned flux is the light intensity that the lamp can provide. This point is especially useful for emergency units intended for ERP and ERT. Indeed, regulations require that the brightness be at least 5 lumens/m², during the minimum required operating time.
For the light source, it is preferable to use LED. Light-emitting diodes are more efficient, and the lighting is instantaneous. For its part, the IP protection index consists of two digits, indicating the level of protection against solid objects and water infiltration. NF standards ensure the compliance of the device with current regulations. A product with this label is more reliable than others.
Autonomous units with a Sati system or integrated automatic testing system have a major advantage. The system can automatically activate the regulatory tests.
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