American Factories Group

Emergency Lighting--General Requirements

In general, the emergency lighting requirements apply to all stairs, aisles, corridors, ramps, escalators and passageways that lead to an exit from the building.

The emergency lighting system must perform for a minimum of 90 minutes in the event of a failure of the normal lighting. The system must start automatically in the event of a failure of a public utility or other outside power source, the opening of a circuit breaker of fuse, or any manual act, including accidentally switching off the normal lighting. The initial illumination cannot be less than an average of one foot-candle along the path of egress at floor level, and must remain at a minimum of 0.6 foot-candle average for the entire 90 minutes. In order to avoid excessively bright and dark spots, the maximum illumination at any one point cannot exceed more than 40 times the minimum illumination at any other point.

The system must be tested on a monthly basis for a minimum of 30 seconds, with an annual test that lasts a full 90 minutes. Written records must be made of each test, indicating a visual inspection of the system and a statement regarding the success or failure of each test.

Emergency lighting systems fall into two categories, one of which is typically referred to as "whole-building system." This type of system relies on the use of a back-up generator as its power source. The generators must be installed, maintained and tested. This type of emergency lighting system is usually installed during the initial planning and construction of the hotel.

The second type of emergency lighting system is typically referred to as a "local installation system" and relies on battery systems as a back-up power source.