Emergency Lighting

Discover our selection of emergency lighting bulkheads and downlights online now from Cromwell. We stock both recessed and surface-mounted emergency lights to suit your business requirements from market leaders, ABB®.

What are emergency lighting bulkheads & downlights?

Emergency lighting is an important aspect of a workplace and ensures evacuation routes remain illuminated in the case of an emergency. Bulkhead lighting provides an extremely durable solution for both internal and external lighting and will brightly light a large open-plan office.

Emergency downlights on the other hand are energy-efficient LEDs with an incorporated backup charge to keep lights on if mains power fails.

Why buy emergency lighting bulkheads & downlights?

In October 2006, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order or RRFSO came into effect, which makes a registered 'Responsible Person' accountable for the safety of every person in a non-domestic building. Article 14 of the RRFSO extends this duty of care to include the supply and fitting of emergency lighting to adequately illuminate the building if the mains power supply fails.

Emergency lighting bulkheads & downlight types

• Emergency escape lighting   -   This type of lighting falls under a building's fire protection requirements and is intended to ensure all routes of escape remain illuminated should the mains power supply fail.

• Standby lighting   -   To maintain business as usual activities, this type of lighting will act as a back-up should the mains power supply fail.

Considerations when choosing emergency lighting bulkheads & downlights

• Planning - if starting from scratch establish evacuation routes and stairways leading to fire exit doors in a fire risk assessment so you can purchase the correct number to ensure full coverage of the area.

• Illumination - ensure that the lighting chosen will illuminate in all seasons and times of the day (or night if the building is occupied during this time).

Emergency lighting bulkheads & downlights jargon buster

Keeping up with safety compliance is an important aspect of running a business, and the safe evacuation of staff during an emergency incident is a top concern. We want to keep you up to date; so, we've outlined a useful standard to help you make the best decisions for your business.

What does BS EN 1838 mean?

This standard is entitled Emergency lighting applications and provides guidelines on where standby and emergency escape lighting should be installed for commercial buildings, office blocks, warehouses, and residential housing with a high level of occupancy.

Let's break it down...

• BS - This is an abbreviation for the British Standards Institute, which is the governing body for publishing and reviewing all standards under British law.

• EN - An abbreviation for European Norm according to the German translation for European Standard. This highlights the adoption and use of this standard in Europe.

• 1838 - This is the standard's legislation number.

FAQs

What triggers emergency lighting?

Emergency lights are powered by backup batteries which are engaged in the event of mains power failure. Emergency light designs can either have an internal, replaceable battery or can be fed from a connection that feeds all emergency lights from a central battery pack. All batteries are rechargeable.

How long should emergency lights stay on?

For emergency escape lights, the minimum time the lights should run is one hour to allow the safe evacuation of everyone in the building. However, standby lighting isn't required by British law but is usually powered by an external generator that will run until the mains power can be restored.