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Means of Egress
In businesses, schools, hospitals, multifamily living spaces, areas of assembly and workplaces, emergency lighting is designed to facilitate a safe and efficient evacuation of a building when needed.
So many times, we associate this need with a major emergency like a fire or a weather-related event, but emergency lighting is beneficial in a power outage regardless of the reason.
Emergency Lighting
You have certainly seen the EXIT signs in these facilities. Together with emergency lighting, the path towards exits, the exits themselves, and the point of evacuation is illuminated for safe passage for no less than 90 minutes. Areas of egress will include hallways, stairwells, common or hazardous areas and may include restrooms, elevator lobbies or security areas. These throughways include only designated stairs, aisles, corridors, ramps, escalators, and passageways leading to an exit.
In the designated direct means of egress, EXIT signs are to be continuously lit. Egress lighting or “bug lights” typically illuminate when power is lost. Mounting emergency lights with the recommended spacing provides the required coverage to meet code-specific illumination levels and help eliminate dark spots. In the event of a power outage, an emergency electrical system will power the lights.
You may recognize these lights by the bulging roundness of the bulbs around the emergency electrical box.
Testing Is Required
Maintenance, inspection, and testing shall be performed under the supervision of a responsible person who shall ensure that testing, inspection, and maintenance are made at specified intervals in accordance with applicable NFPA standards or as directed by the authority having jurisdiction.
A monthly 30 second visual inspection of each device is required.
Annually, emergency lights are required to be tested for 90 minutes to ensure they will stay illuminated for the duration of the requirement.
Written documentation of these inspections shall be kept by the owner and available to the authority having jurisdiction.
For more information on Egress Lighting, you may find helpful information at: