Emergency Lighting Regulations

Emergency lighting regulations are dictated by a variety of building and fire code requirements that are available in international, federal, state, and local versions. The international versions are commonly referred to as the IFC (International Fire Code) and IBC (International Building Code). The IFC and the IBC are the overall guiding light in terms of emergency lighting regulations.

Here in the United States, the NFPA (National Fire Protection Associaton) Life Safety Code 101 is the main source of requirements for setting the code regulations of emergency lighting and exit signs. The NFPA was established in the early part of the 21st century after a series of devastating fires caused concern for the safety of occupants in public and private commercial structures.

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New York City and Chicago have specific emergency lighting regulations which require metal housings, specified wattage lamp heads, and must be approved by each city's Department of Buildings, respectively. All of New York City's five boroughs must install emergency lights that have 9W lamp heads while Chicago requires 12W lamps.

All emergency lights throughout the US must operate for at least 90 minutes when in emergency mode. Emergency lights rely on battery backup systems; each fixture has an internal battery that charges constantly, preparing for emergency operation. All emergency lights must be able to recharge their batteries within 24 hours of complete discharge.

OSHA Emergency Lighting Regulations

Furthermore, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires that emergency lighting fixtrues are tested on a monthly and yearly basis. Testing is accomplished one of three ways - shutting off power, pressing in a test button, or observing the status of the unit via LED readout.

When the power to a facility is shut off emergency lights (and exit signs) should remain on, theoretically. If they do not turn on or the battery backup fails before 90 minutes has elapsed, maintenance to replace the battery/units will need to take place.

Testing Emergency Lights

Each emergency lighting fixture should feature a "push to test" button. Pressing this button shuts off battery power and flips the light into emergency mode, similar to shutting off the power. The only disadvantage is that to test a unit for 90 minutes one would need to hold the button in for the entire duraiton, which is not very feasible.

Most recently, "self-testing emergency lights" have become increasingly popular. Self-testing models feature circuitry that constantly monitors the light's charger, circuit board, transformer, and battery - constantly testing the fixture every 5 seconds. If an error or malfunction is detected, the result of the test is displayed in a series of LED colored lights. Using the legend that is provided, one can easily figure out the emergency light's problem and solve it quickly.

Illumination Requirements

In terms of illumination, at least (1) foot-candle of light is required along the path of egress at all times. A foot-candle is a very faint amount of light, but is enough to enable building occupants to safely, quickly, and efficiently exit any building. In New York City at least (2) foot-candles of light is required to light the path of egress.

There are, of course, many more regulations and requirements for emergency lighting. Please contact us today to learn more, ask a question, or for general information. Call us toll-free or email us now for help!