Can we turn lights on during evacuation?

[Guest melanieH]

We had a fire drill at our offices and one member of staff has asked if it is safe to turn lights on using the switch on the wall during an evacuation.

Please can you let me know the best response to give.

Many thanks

Melanie

[Tom Sutton]

If you mean the normal lighting then by all means but why does the lighting need to be switch on, I would have thought if the lighting is needed then it would all ready have been switch on. The emergency escape lighting is a different matter.

[green-foam]

The only problem caused by operating a light switch is, if there is the presence of a flammable gas, operating a switch on or off may create a spark igniting said gas. But for a fire evacuation, I for one do not see a problem with turning the lights on. (Assuming they still work)