Are portable emergency lights allowed in small offices?

[Guest JillP]

Are you able to let me know what are the official requirements for emergency lighting in small offices. ie. do we require proper installtion by wiring or could we have portable battery powered lights which require no wiring.

Many thanks.

Jill

[green-foam]

I would say you need to have a risk assessment carried out to determine if you do, and if so where / how many. Most fire alarm companies should be able to help. (They also look after / install emergency lighting)

With regard to "portable battery powered lights which require no wiring" Do you mean a torch? By its definition an emergency light has to come on when the lighting supply fails, a normal torch will not do this, and also if its dark, how will you see to find the torch? (Worse still what if its not where it was last time you looked)

[Tom Sutton]

I would suggest you check up on the appropriate DCLG guidance where you will find information on the need for emergency escape lighting.http://www.firesafe....ety-order-2005/

Quote from Offices and Shops guide.

The primary purpose of emergency escape lighting is to illuminate escape routes but it also illuminates other safety equipment.

The size and type of your premises and the risk to the occupants will determine the complexity of the emergency escape lighting required.

Borrowed lighting may be suitable in small premises where the light is from a dependable source, e.g. street lamps, and it will adequately illuminate escape routes.

Where borrowed lighting is not suitable, then a number of torches, in strategic positions, can be considered. Single ‘stand-alone’ escape lighting units may be sufficient in small premises and these can sometimes be combined with exit or directional signs (Figure 54).

The level of general illumination should not be significantly reduced by the sign.

In larger more complex premises a more comprehensive system of fixed automatic escape lighting is likely to be needed. This will be particularly true in premises with extensive basements or where there are significant numbers of staff or members of the public.