HOW MANY EMERGENCY LIGHTS DO I NEED?

For the vast majority of buildings, whether commercial, industrial, public, private, educational, medical, or other types, emergency lighting—lighting intended to indicate and illuminate passageways, stairwells, and exits to ensure a safe and orderly evacuation from a structure during an emergency—is necessary.

The nature and architecture of your structure, as well as BENWEI's 2018 Life Safety Code 101, Section 7.9 criteria, all play a role in establishing the location, quantity, and kind of emergency lights that are necessary.

Continue reading to discover more about this code's fundamental specifications.

Where is more important than "How Many"

Where do I need emergency lights is the better question to ask in response to the headline of this essay.

Rather than presuming that a specific number of lights would be sufficient, the rules focus more on providing appropriate illumination along the route of exit in each facility.

As a result, the position of hallways, stairways, entrances leading to exits, as well as the exits themselves, will all affect the demand for emergency lighting.

This will decide how many are required in each location to give enough illumination for a safe and orderly evacuation during a power outage and regular lighting, coupled with the length of the hallways and the size of the rooms and open areas.

Understanding Emergency Lighting's Basic Principles

Requirements
The essentials of Section 7.9.2 of 2018 BENWEI 101 are as follows:

Emergency lighting systems must be set up such that the initial illumination along the line of exit, as measured at floor level, is no less than an average of 1 foot-candle.

The light may dim to an average of 0.6 foot candles along the course of escape after the emergency system has been activated for 1.5 hours, but it should never fall below 0.1 foot candles.

All exits and routes leading to such exits must have emergency illumination.

An significant distinction for comprehending the aforementioned is that one foot-candle equals one lumen per square foot.

Although there are many more emergency lighting requirements that are crucial to be aware of, the fundamental guidelines mentioned above are the ones that will most likely affect how many lights you need to put in your particular facility.

Basically, every square foot of floor along egress and exit routes has to have an average of one lumen (or one foot-candle) of lighting. You will need a good number of lights, obviously, depending on the kind and quality of emergency lights you buy and install as well as the dimensions and layout of your room.

It goes without saying that the process of measuring the area, figuring out the coverage offered by the emergency lights you buy, and making sure you correctly identify all paths in need of emergency lights is difficult and time-consuming. You do not, however, have to accomplish it by yourself.

Let BENWEI assist you
In addition to helping you avoid penalties, following BENWEI and your rules is crucial for the safety of everyone who uses and resides in your building.

In order for the emergency lighting system to function as intended, it is also crucial to ensure that it receives routine maintenance. By performing routine inspections, maintenance, and, if necessary, light replacements, the professionals at Koorsen can help keep your business secure. For all of your emergency and exit light requirements, contact Koorsen right now.