What is the Importance of Exit and Emergency Inspection?

Emergency lights, exit signs, and panic doors are essential safety items in your business. Exit and emergency lights lead you and your staff to safety in the case of an emergency, whereas fire alarm systems signal an emergency and fire sprinklers suppress flames.

All commercial buildings must have emergency and evacuation route lighting, which electricians in Drouin design to save lives. In the case of a power outage or other disruption in service, your personnel will use the emergency and exit lights to go to safety.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requires exit signs to be seen from no more than 100 feet away or the designated viewing distance of the exit sign.

In addition, the NFPA mandates these signs in all ‘egress channels,’ including ceiling height and continuous width. As a company owner, you should consider installing emergency and exit lighting that is internally hooked into emergency backup power, ensuring uninterrupted lighting in the case of a power loss.

However, internally connected backup power may not be accessible; therefore, company owners should consider readily available replacement batteries for any battery-backed systems.

When do you need an emergency light?

Exit and emergency lights are essential to assist residents in securely entering and exiting a facility. Nevertheless, wayfinding is the most critical criterion for evacuating all inhabitants.

For example, a lit route can lessen fear and keep inhabitants from becoming disoriented in the case of a fire. After the power goes off, emergency lights should give lighting for at least 90 minutes.

Why do we need emergency lights?

The residents may be in complete darkness if the electricity goes out. The purpose of emergency lighting is to illuminate a clear and safe departure path from the structure.

Exit and path-finder lighting is a crucial component of the construction of a business or public services building, ensuring that your employees, guests, and the general public may safely escape and avoid any physical risk (like getting lost, tripping or falling).

Rules of Exit and Emergency Lighting

1. Emergency and exit lights arrangement

The NFPA guidelines dictate where signage should be placed and how floors should be lit. No point in an exit access area shall be more than 100 feet or the rated viewing distance of the sign, whichever is shorter.

2. The amount of emergency lighting

No less than one lumen per square foot of emergency illumination should be available. Maximum lighting at any spot should be at most 40 times the lowest luminance. The goal is to avoid too brilliant and highly dark regions.

3. How long should emergency lights last in an emergency?

According to the NFPA, emergency lighting should last at least 1.5 hours on full battery power if traditional lighting fails.

4. The inspection schedule for emergency and exit lighting

Every month, you should examine emergency and exit lights. As per NFPA rule, emergency and exit lights must get tested monthly for functioning for 30 seconds. According to the best electricians in Drouin, building managers should also preserve written records of monthly inspections.

These documents are essential because the local authority with jurisdiction may demand them. There should be, at most, five weeks between monthly checks. Building owners and managers should test emergency and exit lights once a year in addition to the 30-second testing.

Maintaining Exit and Emergency Lightning

To maintain these units effectively, company owners need to take the following steps:

1. Visual inspections every 30 days

You should inspect your lighting every 30 days. Checking for and fixing any loose or exposed wiring (frayed wiring is itself a fire hazard and loose wiring can be accidentally snagged and lead to further damage).

Ensure that exit signs and emergency lights get fastened to the wall or ceiling. Examine the housing for cracks or blemishes since cracked outside units may need to get replaced due to water seepage. Consider adding protective guards and shields to keep these units safe from harm.

2. Functional inspection

You must choose regular maintenance checks on this equipment monthly or yearly. The experts design these tests to check for external damage and to ensure that the lights are operational.

Most equipment has two sorts of testing mechanisms. These are equipment that must get manually tested and equipment that is classified as self-testing (i.e., has built-in circuit that can perform the 30-second monthly and 90-minute annual tests).

Manual testing equipment necessitates the discovery of the ‘push-to-test’ button, which stops AC power and activates the backup battery. Exit and emergency signs should remain lit. Hold the button for 30 seconds, ensuring the illumination remains on the entire time.

Self-testing equipment is appropriate for extensive facilities with several units. It features a ‘push-to-test’ button and an illuminated diagnostic LED to display test results.

The 30-second test should get started by pressing the button twice. Examine the LED tell-tale after a while. Continuous green signifies regular service, whereas red signals a malfunction. You may also programme the devices to do a 30-second battery test every 30 days.

3. Keeping records

Keep written records of testing and maintenance for future reference. Document the location of any untested units and the rationale for the absence of testing.

How Long Should the Test be Performed?

If you are testing your emergency lights and exit signs, you should do so for at least a half-minute. The lights may appear bright and functional if your battery is damaged, but the bulbs quickly lose power.

Running for roughly a half-minute ensures that the lights are more than just working on a surface charge with a faulty battery. If the lights go out after this period, you must change the battery to ensure that all emergency lights turn on when they are genuinely needed.

Connect with Direct Point Electrical

Here at Direct Point Electrical, we can test, maintain, and repair emergency light systems and exit signs at your establishment. We also provide a variety of additional business power services.

We are professionally trained, licenced, and insured. Contact us immediately to have your emergency lighting systems, exit signs, breakers, equipment, and more tested and inspected.

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