What is commercial emergency lighting?

Commercial emergency lighting is a lighting system used in office and commercial environments to provide basic lighting and evacuation guidance in the event of an emergency, with common devices including led emergency lights and exit indicators.

What specific buildings are included in commercial emergency lighting scenarios?

Commercial buildings include: shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels, hospitals, entertainment venues and other large crowded buildings.

Why do commercial and office spaces need emergency lighting?

Choosing the right emergency lighting is an investment in safety:

The primary goal of choosing emergency lighting in commercial and office spaces is to ensure the safety of employees, reduce the damage caused by sudden events, and is a core factor in the smooth operation of a business. Whether it's an emergency such as a natural disaster, power outage or fire, efficient emergency lighting design can help employees quickly find a safe exit, reducing confusion and potential risks.

Office emergency lighting: Emergency lighting fixtures should be provided in offices to ensure that evacuation routes and safe exits are clearly visible to employees in the event of a power outage.

Commercial emergency lighting: Choose emergency lighting that meets national standards and is of reliable quality, such as led emergency lights, which have the advantages of energy saving, environmental protection and long life. These lamps should be scattered and installed in key areas such as stairwells, corridors and elevator rooms.

Emergency lighting design: When designing the emergency lighting system, it is necessary to consider factors such as the arrangement, brightness and irradiation range of the lamps and lanterns to ensure that sufficient lighting intensity is provided in case of emergency, while avoiding glare that may affect evacuation.

Code Compliance:

Commercial premises are required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Building Code (IBC) to be equipped with a compliant emergency lighting system that ensures the provision of reliable lighting and evacuation guidance.

In the UK, fire safety legislation requires the provision of emergency lighting in the following premises:

• Offices and shops Offices and stores
• Premises that provide care
• Community halls
• Pubs, clubs and restaurants
• Schools
• Tents and marquees Tents and marquees
• Hotels and hostels
• Factories and warehouses
• Common areas in houses in multiple occupations

Corporate responsibility and image:

Effective emergency lighting design not only reflects the importance a company places on the safety of its employees and customers, it is also part of fulfilling its legal responsibilities and further enhances a company's professional image.

Key principles of emergency lighting design for commercial and office premises:

Covering critical areas:

• Exits and evacuation routes: compliant exit indicators need to be installed above each exit. All evacuation routes should have a continuous emergency lighting system to ensure that the pathways are clearly visible.
• Public areas and staircases: Public areas such as meeting rooms and lobbies need to be equipped with high-brightness emergency lights, and stairwells should be fitted with lamps that have a long life span.

 Meet illumination standards:

• Emergency lighting in commercial premises should reach a brightness of **1 Lux** or more, especially in the evacuation path, so as to help employees clearly recognize their surroundings in the dark.

Backup power reliability:

• Equipped with a backup power source such as lithium batteries, which can be quickly activated when the main power source is interrupted and continue to supply power for at least 90 minutes to guarantee the continuous operation of the emergency lighting system.

Intelligent and integrated:

• Modern emergency lighting system is recommended to be integrated with the fire alarm system to achieve intelligent start. Through sensor monitoring, the system can automatically adjust the lighting brightness according to the actual situation and enable the lamps and lanterns in specific areas.

Where emergency lighting should be installed in commercial office buildings:

• Emergency lighting is designed to ensure safe evacuation of a building, reduce panic and confusion, and safely manage high-risk tasks in the event of a mains power failure. Emergency lighting can therefore be divided into three sections: escape routes, open areas and high-risk tasks.
• Lighting in these specific areas is designed to improve functionality and serve a purpose whether it is to guide, direct or provide light to accomplish important tasks.
• Emergency exits and escape routes should be marked. They should be illuminated to clearly indicate escape routes to safe locations. In accordance with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, illuminated signs should be located at all final exits and where people may be unsure of the route to safety.
• Every change of direction leading to an escape door needs to be illuminated. Escape lighting fixtures should be placed near each exit door and anywhere that potential hazards or safety equipment need to be emphasized.
• Escape route pathways indicated by green men and directional arrows are created in accordance with BS 5499 design. These arrows need to point to the nearest safety exit. The left and right safety exit arrows are self-explanatory, but when do you use an up or down arrow?
• The up arrow is when you have to continue on your route towards another fire exit sign. It can also be used for final exits. Unless there are steps or ramps outside.
•   The down arrow should be used when you must continue on your route toward another safety exit sign. A down arrow is required if after an exit sign you have a staircase going down behind the sign.
• Emergency lighting is required for areas larger than 60 square meters, open areas with escape routes through them, or hazards identified by a building risk assessment. These areas are usually offices, washrooms, receptions and meeting rooms.
• Emergency lighting can also be designed to target specific areas with individual necessary requirements. For example, in a showroom where normal focused led downlights are used, if a power shortage or emergency occurs, emergency lighting should also be designed to reflect this.
• In many emergencies, staff or members of the public will be able to stop what they are doing, whether it is using a computer, making a phone call or having a meeting, and evacuate the building.
• However, some staff may be in high-risk tasks, such as working with machinery or hazardous substances. In these cases, it is important that the relevant people have full visibility of the safety shutdown equipment.
• Areas of high physical risk include factory control rooms and production lines. In these areas there may be no clear escape routes and good emergency lighting needs to be placed to highlight large obstacles or hazards.
• The Code of Practice and Emergency Lighting Regulations state that in any hazardous location, emergency lighting must provide at least 10% of the normal light source with a minimum illumination level of 15 lux.
• Captive care staff areas should also be used in designing an emergency lighting system Each of these areas requires more time and is more at risk during an emergency.

Ecommendations on commercial led emergency lighting：

When it comes to considerate installation of emergency lighting for the commercial office building, led emergency lights meet the needs for efficiency, energy conservation and environmental protection. Here are a few recommended commercial led emergency lights:

• High brightness led emergency lights: these lamps and lanterns generally employ high brightness led chips, which can meet the requirement of lighting intensity and, in turn, has excellent energy-saving performance.

Batten auxiliary emergency light

Led ceiling mount emergency hallway lights EM309

Led emergency tube rechargeable T8 EM350

LED ceiling emergency light recessed emergency lights

Emergency lighting led spots EM301

• Intelligent sensor led emergency lights: internal light sensor and human body sensor, no need for manual operation of the smart sensor led emergency lights can be turned on as needed, enhance the response capacity of emergencies.

LED emergency light Luminaire EM302

Emergency Track Light for Versatile Commercial Use Luminaire EM360

Luminaire EM304

Maintenance free ceiling led emergency lights IP54 Emergency lighting EM330

Bright led emergency spot lights with battery EM303

• Waterproof and dustproof led emergency lights: For zones which are in the commercial office buildings where acts like high humidity, dusty environment or other strict weather conditions are likely to persist, waterproof and dustproof led emergency lights are appropriate since they help guarantee that the lamps and lanterns shall operate stably for long time.

Luminaire EM311 Waterproof Emergency Lights

EM210 self-checking led emergency waterproof luminaire IP65

Best Practices: this paper aims at discussing how emergency lighting design can be improved within commercial and office premises.

Flexible distributed design:

Design emergency lighting according to the functionality of the premises: The open office areas need to have consistent luminaires installed while private offices and equipment rooms should have separate emergency leds installed.

• Emergency lights should be located near the following locations:
• Any door which is used in an emergency to gain exit.
• Staircases; in a way that each stairway has direct light upon it.
• Emergency exit and safety of elevators is required to have readily visible signs at or near entrances.
• Change of direction.
• Corridor intersections.
• Outside and near each exit.
• First aid stations.
• Fire fighting equipment.
• Fire alarm call points.

The two main goals in relation to the environment are identified as protection of the environment and energy conservation:

Selecting efficient emergency lighting equipment like solar or high efficiency led sources of light for your emergency lights not only save on costs but also improve your organization’s environmental profile.

Regular testing and maintenance：

Establish a monthly and annual inspection program to ensure that batteries, lamps and emergency system components are in good condition. This is an important part of legal regulations and corporate responsibility.

Enhance accessible design：

Ensure that accessibility criteria for the luminaire design are met, for example in case of a fire or similar emergency all employees, including disabled ones, should be able to react appropriately.

Conclusion：

The principles of the emergency lighting design in the commercial or office building are important to the safety of the employees as well as the company responsibility. Proper system coverage, proper selection of energy efficient equipment and proper maintenance of equipment s help business establishments enhance their emergency response regime and standards compliance. If you are in need of assistance with regarding professional emergency lighting designing or installing, please contact our team and we will create a tailored solution for you in order to keep your place compliant!