Where Should Emergency Lighting Be Installed?

Emergency lighting is a key part of keeping your workplace safe and secure. It’s an enormous part of fire safety and preventing panic should the mains power circuit fail. Yet many companies see matters like emergency lighting as a box-ticking exercise.

At Wells Electrical Contractors, we bring over 65 years of collective experience to the table, supporting businesses in designing, installing, and maintaining their emergency lighting systems. After delivering electrical work to the likes of Smyths Toys and Bluecoat Liverpool, we’re equipped to serve all your emergency lighting needs.

The different types of emergency lighting

Emergency lighting comes in two forms: maintained and non-maintained emergency lighting. Both are vital for ensuring safety throughout your business.

1. Maintained Lighting – Maintained emergency lighting is perpetually burning and is always connected to the mains. These form part of a room’s usual lighting system but can remain on during a power cut because of their backup battery. It’s most commonly used in non-residential areas, like theatres, cinemas, and bars.

2. Non-Maintained Lighting – Non-maintained lighting functions when a building’s primary power fails. These lights are linked to a battery and the primary electric circuitry, allowing them to stay switched off until needed. According to the latest fire safety government regulations, these lights must be able to function for three hours without mains power.

A third type of emergency lighting is also available. This is known as combined emergency lighting and is a combination of maintained and non-maintained lighting. They consist of multiple lights, with one acting like a maintained light and the other a non-maintained light.

Check out our advice on how to test emergency lighting.

Are there legal requirements for emergency lighting placement?

Legal requirements control where emergency lighting must be installed in different types of buildings. According to BS 5266-1 regulations, all common areas like stairwells, exit points, and hallways must contain emergency lighting.

The regulations focus on ensuring that all escape routes are sufficiently illuminated and unobstructed. Additionally, areas with extra risks, like kitchens, must have emergency lighting. In short, how many emergency lights and where they must be placed will depend on the layout of your building.

You should also consider the legal requirements around testing emergency lighting.

Where should emergency lighting be installed?

Buildings must have emergency lighting installed along all escape routes and common areas. The law states that escape routes must have appropriate lighting to guide people out of your building should the mains electricity fail.

Here’s a round-up of the most essential regulations regarding location:

·  Open areas larger than 60 square metres must have emergency lighting installed.

·  Emergency lighting must be fitted within two metres of horizontal distance above all fire alarms and firefighting equipment.

·  Each luminary must provide three hours of continuous lighting where emergency lights are placed.

Although these regulations are relatively straightforward, different buildings may have unique emergency lighting placement requirements. That’s why all businesses must get a professional assessment to comply with the latest regulations.

How far apart should emergency lighting be placed?

It’s not just where emergency lighting is but how far it is from installations like doors, exit signs, and changes in floor level. Additionally, the distance must be sufficient to provide a minimum amount of lighting.

For example, escape routes should have at least 1 lux of lighting, whereas open areas only need 0.5 lux to achieve compliance.

Here are some specific scenarios and where emergency lighting must be placed:

·  Illuminated Signs – Any signs that are illuminated externally must have emergency lighting within two metres.

·  Escape Routes (Below Two Metres in Width) – Narrow escape routes require a minimum lighting level of 1 lux along the precise centreline.

·  Escape Routes (Above Two Metres in Width) – Larger escape routes can be treated as having multiple two-metre strips. Each of these “strips” must have a lighting level of 1 lux crossing at least 50% of its width.

·  Open Areas – Open areas greater than 60 square metres must have a 0.5 lux illumination due to the higher chance of panic in these wide-open spaces.

These are just some examples of placement situations you might encounter. Of course, every business differs, which is why turning to the professionals at Wells Electrical for a complete assessment is the best way to start designing your emergency lighting infrastructure.

Why emergency lighting design is important

Each building requires its own bespoke emergency lighting design that fits with the overall layout of the area. Proper design supports safe evacuation during emergencies and prevents unnecessary injuries and panic.

Well-designed emergency lighting accomplishes four goals:

1. Health and safety

The primary purpose of emergency lighting is to guide everyone out of the building without injury if your primary electricity supply fails. It’s there to prevent panic, which could result in trips, falls, and stampedes. If your infrastructure isn’t up to code, you could cause unnecessary injuries, for which you’ll be liable.

2. Business continuity

Power outages are enormously disruptive for businesses, especially when they’re prolonged. Minor power cuts that don’t require a complete evacuation still prevent your usual operations from being carried out.

Good emergency lighting design minimises downtime and mitigates the potential losses caused by your company coming to a standstill.

3. Compliance with the law

The law forces businesses of all sizes to comply with emergency lighting legislation. It’s a requirement for all commercial and non-domestic buildings to have some form of emergency lighting that can spring into action if the mains power fails.

If you don’t have a well-maintained, well-designed lighting system, you risk legal action being taken against you. In the event someone is injured or killed due to not meeting your obligations, it could well shut your business down for good.

4. Support the emergency services

Emergency lighting isn’t just there to help you get out. It’s there to help the emergency services get in.

Some of the ways emergency services use this lighting include:

·  Assessing the situation.

·  Finding lost individuals.

·  Reaching injured parties.

·  Supporting firefighting and medical capabilities.

As you can see, emergency lighting isn’t one of those health and safety regulations requiring a tick in a box. It’s something that could well save your life.

Work with the professionals at Wells Electrical Contractors to begin designing and installing your emergency lighting and keep your employees and customers safe. To learn more about emergency lighting design and installation, contact us today.

What Protection Do RCDs Provide?

Electrical safety is achieved by building a safe, reliable system, but within that system are special devices known as Residual Current Devices (RCDs). These are designed to protect everyone from electric shocks, ensuring you don’t suffer from severe injuries or even lose your life.

Yet so many Brits are unaware of these devices and what they do. According to the latest research, 46% of Britons didn’t know what RCDs were. And that’s a problem because it means many businesses are unwittingly falling below the necessary electrical safety standards.

At Wells Electrical Contractors, we’re here to deliver the highest standards of electrical safety. With over 65 years of combined experience, we’ve served some of the UK’s leading businesses, including Smyths Toys and Bluecoat Liverpool. Here’s what all businesses should know about RCDs.

The primary function of RCDs

RCDs are considered to be the gold standard of electric shock prevention. According to the latest research, around 1,000 workplace electrocutions are lodged with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) each year, with 30 fatalities, which is far too high.

The purpose of an RCD is to track the electrical current in any given circuit. If it detects any leakage, it will cut the power supply to prevent electric shocks and lower the risk of an electrical fire breaking out.

RCDs are designed to kick in when leakage happens for any reason, including:

·   Electrical faults

·   Appliance/circuit damage

·   Water contact

·   Live wire contact

Since being introduced, they’ve played a pivotal role in slashing the number of electric shocks and have saved countless lives. It’s why they’re a standard feature of electrical safety, not just in the UK but around the world.

Who needs RCD protection?

RCD protection is recommended for every commercial outlet, including corner shops, shopping centres, cinemas, theatres and hotels. Realistically, RCD protection is strongly recommended for any building, including residential, governmental, and industrial facilities.

You might be surprised that RCD protection is mandatory to comply with health and safety laws. The 18th Edition Wiring Regulations state that RCDs are legally required to achieve the minimum standard of health and safety in these situations:

·   Circuits supplying lighting fixtures.

·   Circuits supplying portable equipment to be used outdoors.

·   Socket outlets with ratings of up to 32A in high-risk environments  (kitchens, bathrooms, etc.)

The fact is that this is largely a redundant question because there’s no reason not to have RCD protection. At Wells Electrical Contractors, our NICEIC-approved contractors specialise in helping businesses not just meet the minimum standards but go beyond them.

Find out more about why businesses need RCD protection.

What protection do RCDs provide?

RCDs protect against electric shocks and electrical fires. It’s their role to detect changes in electrical flow and to immediately cut power to the circuit. By cutting off the power to that circuit, it essentially means there’s no longer any electrical flow from the main fuse board.

The reason why they’re so effective is that RCDs cut off the power supply within milliseconds, meaning there’s no opportunity to deliver an electric shock to an unwitting bystander.

Moreover, RCDs protect against electrical fires. Faults within wiring and appliances can result in overheating, which could cause a fire. RCDs can detect these faults by charting the balance between the neutral and live currents. Whenever there’s a problem, the RCD interrupts the electrical flow and so stops overheating in its tracks.

But it’s also vital to mention that these two forms of RCD protection also result in protection for your business. Firms that invest in RCDs mitigate the fallout of a health and safety incident, including:

·   Regulatory fines

·   Employee downtime

·   Business interruption

·   Reputational damage

Even minor electric shocks and small fires can cause catastrophic damage to your day-to-day operations. Don’t just see RCDs as an exercise in health and safety, but as a way to protect the future of our business.

The UK standard for electrical installation safety

In the UK, British-Standard 7671, also known as the IET Wiring Regulations, dictates electrical installation safety. Within these regulations, RCDs are also included. They detail when they must be installed, who they’re installed by, and how.

We’ve already discussed some of the environments where RCDs are required, but it’s also important to mention that they aren’t something anybody can install. BS-7671 clearly outlines that a qualified electrical installer must install them.

RCDs must then be tested to ensure that they’re working correctly. Trying to do it with the DIY approach compromises your firm’s electrical safety standards and exposes you to enormous legal liability if an accident occurs.
 

Note that although BS-7671 isn’t a law itself but a statute, it’s widely recognised that non-compliance means violating the Health & Safety at Work Act and the 1989 Electricity at Work Regulations, which are laws.

The reliability of RCDs for your business

Are RCDs reliable for preventing electric shocks and fires?

RCDs are incredibly reliable, which is why they’re recommended in every setting. According to the Electrical Safety Council, fixed RCDs boast a 97% reliability rate, at a minimum. This rate increases with regular testing. It’s why so many manufacturers now automatically incorporate them into things like sockets.

Like all electrical safety components, they only work if regularly monitored and tested. At Wells Electrical, we provide full design, installation, and testing services to give you peace of mind that your business is protected at all times. To learn more about our RCD installation services, contact us today.

Designing an Emergency Lighting System

Installing emergency lighting systems protects employees and customers from harm should you experience a power outage. In practically every business in the UK, emergency lighting isn’t just a recommendation, it’s the law.
 

Per The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, business owners must ensure that they have taken the appropriate steps to guarantee a minimum level of fire safety, including through the provision of emergency lighting.

At Wells Electrical Contractors, our NICEIC-approved contractors ensure you’ve got an emergency lighting system that complies with the law and saves lives. It all starts with creating a bespoke design that leaves no stone unturned.

Why emergency lighting design needs to be carefully considered

No two businesses will have precisely the same emergency lighting design because every building’s layout differs. For emergency lighting to be effective, it must have proper placement and coverage to provide sufficient lighting levels to allow people to evacuate safely.

Simply having emergency lighting isn’t enough to comply with the law. According to one study, 44% of English firms didn’t have the correct emergency lighting, even when it was present. Non-compliance is a serious issue, and if the worst happens, it could even result in criminal charges.

In short, emergency lighting is only half of your legal obligations. The second part is having a well-designed system that accounts for the intricacies of your building’s layout.

Check out our comprehensive guide to emergency lighting installation. 

Emergency lighting design: Risk assessment

Aspects of your comprehensive risk assessment that we will cover include:

·   Positioning of signage.

·   Positioning of luminaries.

·   Minimum required lighting levels at floor level.

·   Legal minimum illumination levels.

·   Required response times between the failure of normal lighting and the emergency lighting switch-on.

Your risk assessment is primarily guided by BS 5266-1 regulations, which are the UK’s regulations specific to emergency lighting. We’ll also account for any unique risks to a safe, orderly evacuation and how your emergency lighting will fit into your overall fire safety plans.

How the emergency lighting design process works

Emergency lighting design follows a tried-and-tested process to guarantee that businesses have a system that saves lives while achieving the necessary legal compliance. At Wells Electrical Contractors, we follow a defined five-phase strategy that covers everything from the initial consultation to the sign-off of your new system.

Step one – Risk assessment

All designs start with a risk assessment that analyses risks relevant to your business and your site’s layout. It happens within the context of the UK’s fire safety regulations, so your design aligns with your obligations.

We’ll cover factors like the type of building, number of occupants, hours of use, available escape routes, dangerous equipment, and high-risk zones.

Step two – Site survey

It’s vital that we map your building’s layout to determine where emergency lighting must be positioned to facilitate an evacuation, wherever your employees or customers are in the building at the time.

This requires one of our engineers to physically inspect your premises, noting layouts, dimensions, and any hazards that could stand in the way of an evacuation. We’ll also define escape routes and available exits.

Step three – Identifying specific lighting needs

Different environments present different challenges. It means tailored solutions are needed to deal with potential safety issues. For example, areas that are nearly always highlighted when designing emergency lighting systems include:

·   Stairwells

·   Lifts

·   Control panels

·   Bathrooms

·   Fire alarm call points

Businesses within high-risk industries also often have different needs from conventional offices and shops that require extra consideration.

Step four – Building the best emergency lighting system

After preliminary investigations and full site surveys, we’re now ready to move on to building a high-performance lighting system that complies with UK law.

We’ll discuss different systems, such as maintained, non-maintained lighting, and combined emergency lighting fixtures. This is also where we’ll perform lux-level calculations throughout your building to ensure you meet the minimum 1 lux for escape routes and 0.5 lux for open areas.

Other factors include:

·   Shadows

·   Uniformity

·   Power sources

·   Lighting duration vs. risk

It’s a collaborative partnership, so we’ll be working with your team every step of the way to ensure that you understand your new system and why it’s designed and installed in a particular way.

Step five – Installing your lighting system

The final step is where we’ll actually install your lighting system and test it to check that it will perform under real-life conditions.

We’ll turn to BS-7671 regulations during the installation and perform functional testing to simulate mains failure. Additionally, we’ll provide a commissioning certificate to enable you to prove that your lighting system complies with all relevant requirements.

Note that regular emergency lighting testing is required, including a full-duration test once every year. Our engineers are qualified to perform these tests. Allow us to set up a testing schedule that minimises disruption to your day-to-day operations.

Designing and planning an emergency lighting system with Wells Electrical

Planning an emergency lighting system shouldn’t be considered a box-ticking exercise. We hope you’ll never have to rely on it, but if you do, it’s the type of system that’s proven to save lives.

With over 65 years of experience and a nationwide reputation that precedes us, we’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the country, including Smyths Toys and Bluecoat Liverpool. Our end-to-end services deliver on everything from design to installation and ongoing testing to give you peace of mind.

If you’re ready to design your emergency lighting system, get in touch with us now.

Installing an Emergency Lighting System

Are you thinking about installing an emergency lighting system in your workplace? Emergency lighting saves lives by ensuring everyone can evacuate safely in a crisis.

Workplace fires are more common than you think, with 7,000 workplace fires reported in 2023/24. But although fires remain the biggest threat, even simple power cuts and emergency drills rely on emergency lighting to prevent serious injury.

At Wells Electrical Contractors, we know what it takes to install a robust and legally compliant emergency lighting system. With over 65 years of combined experience, we’re a CHAS and Construction Line-affiliated supplier of electrical systems that UK business owners can rely on. Here’s what you must know about installing an emergency lighting system.

Installing a new emergency lighting system: The basics

Emergency lights are legally required for most businesses in the UK. The regulations that govern this are the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and various other forms of general health and safety legislation.

With that in mind, the success of your new emergency lighting system is all about planning. Unlike buying a new computer or coffee maker, there’s no such thing as a plug-and-go emergency lighting system. Each one is tailored to the company in question, which is why, before the installation begins, you must carry out a comprehensive risk assessment.

Planning your emergency lighting system installation

Before anything happens, you’ll need to map out what your emergency lighting system looks like to maintain compliance. A professional contractor will conduct a complete risk assessment of your business, accounting for the unique layout of your building.

Typically, there are three areas your initial plan hinges on:

1. High-Risk Areas – Identify the high-risk areas of the workplace, such as stairwells, narrow hallways, firefighting equipment, and potential bottlenecks in a panic.

2. Escape Routes – Emergency lights are designed to guide employees and customers alike to the nearest exit. Part of your risk assessment will be establishing all available escape routes from different parts of the building.

3. Open Areas – Open areas can quickly result in people becoming lost and confused when there’s a power cut. Emergency lighting must account for these open areas, including size and illumination levels.

All of these aspects will be accounted for during your risk assessment. It’s also an opportunity to ask questions and receive tailored recommendations from a professional.

Understanding what type of emergency lighting system your business needs

Different emergency lighting systems often make up the overall emergency lighting infrastructure. Typically, you’ll start by deciding between maintained systems, non-maintained systems, or both.

So, what’s the difference between the two?

1. Maintained Emergency Lighting – Maintained lighting operates as emergency and general lighting because it’s permanently switched on. During outages, they switch away from mains power and rely on battery power. They’re most commonly found in large public areas, including cinemas and shopping centres.

2. Non-Maintained Emergency Lights – Non-maintained lighting is only seen when there’s a power cut. Like maintained systems, they’re connected to the mains, but they’ll only be active when the power is cut and they’re forced to switch over to battery power.

Different workplaces need different solutions, and both systems offer benefits. Maintained lighting allows a sense of normalcy to reign to prevent panic during emergencies. In contrast, non-maintained lighting saves enormous amounts of energy because it only kicks in when necessary.

Of course, regardless of which system works best for your firm, there are different types of installations within each category. For example, these may include standardised LED lights or emergency exit signs positioned above escape routes.

Every installation follows a defined stage after agreeing on the basic infrastructure. With Wells Electrical Contractors, we use defined phases to outline to you how it works. Although it might sound simple on paper, this is not something that should be done by anybody but a qualified electrician, even if you have DIY skills.

Not only is installing any electrical system inherently dangerous, but you could find yourself spending more later to fix any mistakes. Moreover, since emergency lighting systems are part of your business’s legal compliance, installation by an unqualified individual can create safety hazards, resulting in non-compliance.

Here's what the installation process looks like.

Risk assessment and planning

The first stage is determining your organisation’s needs alongside one of our experienced contractors. We’ll walk through your business and provide customised recommendations for which emergency lighting installations work for you. It’s also an opportunity for us to inspect your existing electrical infrastructure.

Wiring and connections

The safety and reliability of an emergency lighting system depend on the quality of the wiring. Faulty electrical connections can spark and lead to fires. Moreover, there’s always the risk that poor-quality wiring will mean your emergency lights fail to work when you need them, which could put lives at risk.

Testing

Before marking an emergency lighting system as ready to be used, we test every aspect of the new system to ensure everything is working correctly. Note that this is in addition to the regular testing your firm is obligated to conduct every month and year.

Proper testing guarantees system readiness and alignment with the UK’s legal standards, including business insurance requirements.

Find out more about testing emergency lighting.

How much does emergency light installation cost?

The cost of installing emergency lighting depends entirely on your business. The larger your property and the more lights you require, the more it will cost. The age and complexity of the layout also influence the overall cost.

As part of your initial consultation, we can provide a quote for how much emergency lighting will cost your business. Unlike other providers, the price we provide is the price you actually get because we don’t incorporate hidden charges into our work.

Emergency lighting installation with Wells Electrical Contractors

Emergency lighting is a legal requirement for practically every business in the country, with few exceptions. However, this requirement shouldn’t be seen as a box-ticking exercise but a genuine life-saving measure.

At Wells Electrical Contractors, our NICEIC-approved contractors have been installing emergency lighting for the UK’s business community for the past 15 years, including names like Smyths Toys. If you’re searching for a solutions provider who can tailor your installation to you, contact us today.