Means of Egress

March 2010

By: Felipe Agustin

USGBC-LEEDTM AP

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

1. Indicate the escape route clearly

2. Illuminate open areas used as escape route so that obstructions can be avoided.

3. Ensure fire alarm call points and fire equipment can be readily located.

4. Provide illumination for high risk areas to allow safety shutdown.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Provide lesser level of light than normal through the use of emergency and directional exit lights to create calm in an emergency situation.

2. Highlight fire equipment to permit safety operations.

MANDATORY POINTS OF EMPHASIS

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

At each corridor Intersection Outside each final exit At each Exit Door

At fire alarm call points At each floor level change At fire fighting equipment

MANDATORY POINTS OF EMPHASIS

Exit and safety signs locationsOn each Staircase

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

OTHER LOCATIONS

Escalators

Elevators

Plant Rooms

Covered carparks

High risk task area

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

Escape Route

MINIMUM ILLUMINATION LEVELS

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

NFPA 101 Section 7.9.2 states that emergency lighting facilities shall be arranged to provide illumination that is not less than an average of 1 ft-candle (10.8 lux) and, at any point, not less than 0.1ft-candle (1.1 lux), measured along the path of egress at floor level. Illumination levels shall be permitted to decline to not less than an average of 0.6 ft-candle (6.5 lux) and, at any point, not less than 0.06 ft-candle (0.65 lux) at the end of of the 1 hours. A minimum-to-minimum illumination uniformity ratio of 40 to 1 shall not be exceeded.

BS 5266: Part 1 calls for a minimum of 0.5 lux at floor level on the centerline of permanently unobstructed escape routes. Points of emphasis shall be illuminated to a minimum of 1.0 lux except for fire alarm call points and fire fighting equipment where 5.0 lux is the minimum requirement.

Fire Code of the Philippines Section 10.2.5.11 ( C ) does not mention specific requirement.

EXIT MARKING

Exit Sign Self-luminous Exit Sign

Pictograms Exit Signage

EUROPEAN FORMAT

AMERICAN STANDARD FORMAT

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

MOUNTING HEIGHT

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

VIEWING DISTANCE

BS 5266: Part 7 Requirements

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

NFPA 101 Section 7.10.1.5.2:

States that new sign placement shall be such that no point in an exit access corridor is in excess of the

rated viewing distance or 100 ft (30 m), whichever is less, from the nearest sign.

DURATION OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING SYSTEM

REFERENCE STANDARDS PERIOD OF OPERATION

Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008 Section 10.2.5.11 9 (C)(2)

1 hours

Philippine Electrical Code (PEC) Part 1 Article 7.0

1 hours

BS 5266: Part 1 1 hour

NFPA 101 Section 7.9.2.1 1 hours

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

CATEGORIES OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

SOURCES OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING SYSTEM

1. EMERGENCY GENERATOR. In the event of failure of the normal supply, emergency power shall be available within 10 seconds.

2. UNIT EQUIPMENT AND BATTERY SYSTEMS. No interruption in power.

TYPES OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING SYSTEM

1. SELF-CONTAINED Each luminaire an internal battery which operate during normal power failure. Wiring to a self-contained luminaire does not need to be fire-resistant.

2. SLAVE Luminaire is powered from a central system. The power source is remote from the luminaire thus requiring wiring to be of fire-resistant cable.

3. CONVERSIONS By using conversion kit, any mains luminaire can be converted for emergency use. Usual application is for luminaire having more than one lamp wherein just one lamp is for emergency use.

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

TYPES OF CENTRAL POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

1. DC Central Power Supplies

This system directly uses a battery to supply power to emergency lighting loads. The battery can be 2, 48/50 or 110 V.

2. INVERTERS AC SYSTEM

With the use of an inverter, the battery voltage is transformed from dc to ac (mains voltage).

Central Power Supply units provide power to a substantial number of emergency slave luminaires. A dedicated room housing the battery and the control unit is normally required for central power supply unit.

TESTING OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

Description NFPA 101 BS 5266 Part 1

Daily Daily visual inspection

Monthly Functional testing at 30-day intervals for not less than 30 seconds.

Simulate a mains failure or a time sufficient only to verify emergency operation.

Note: For safety reasons the simulated mains failure should not discharge the battery by more than of its capacity.

Six Monthly Testing as monthly but for 1/3 of the rated duration.

Annually For battery powered emergency lighting system, conduct annual functional testing for not less than 1 hours.

Testing as monthly but for the full duration.

For all tests Emergency lighting system shall be fully operational for the duration of tests.

Emergency lighting system shall be fully operational for the duration of tests.

Written records of visual inspections and test shall be made available as required by local authority.

Written records of test date, results, repairs and completion.

TESTING OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

TYPICAL WIRING ARRANGEMENT OF NETWORKED TESTING PANELS CONNECTED TO CENTRAL BATTERY SYSTEMS

CENTRAL

BATTERY

SYSTEM

ADDRESSABLE TESTING

PANEL

EMERGENCY LIGHTING