Revised emergency lighting standards now include sections on emergency safety and standby lighting. Atkins’ David Mooney highlights what this means for designers.
The way designers approach emergency lighting changed fundamentally last year, with the extensive revision of BS 5266 Emergency lighting – Part 1: Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises.
The standard has more on emergency safety lighting and standby lighting, and responsibilities are better defined – but the area is now more complex, so there is potential for misunderstandings between the parties responsible for the briefing, design, installation, testing/commissioning and ongoing operation of emergency lighting.
Emergency lighting is required for incidents involving a power failure – where the absence of electric light would compromise people’s means of escape – and ensures the safety of building occupants, including in external areas, up to the place of safety as defined by BS EN 1838.
Read the full article by David Mooney, Associate at Atkins originally posted in June 2017 on CIBSE Journal: https://www.cibsejournal.com/general/emergency-lighting-standards
