Emergency & Exit Lighting

Emergency & Exit Lighting
Don't get left in the dark.

During a power outage or a fire, emergency and exit lighting provides a critical resource for people to safely exit the building. Emergency and exit lighting is always battery powered to ensure it will work despite the circumstances of the emergency. It is critical to regularly test emergency lighting to make certain it is fully functional so in the case of an emergency, you don't get left in the dark.

Why is Emergency and Exit Lighting So Important?

In a fire or other emergency seconds matter. In a smoke-filled or darkened room, it is much easier to become confused than you would expect. Having emergency and exit lighting that is properly placed and maintained will enable your employees to quickly get to safety.

Proper emergency and exit lighting also means being up to code. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires there to be two emergency exit routes that are properly marked with emergency and exit lighting. The local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ is the local body in charge of enforcing fire codes) can inspect your emergency and exit lighting at any time and give fines for code violations.

Inspection Cycles

Emergency and exit lighting requires monthly and annual inspections and maintenance.

Annual inspections are 90 minutes to ensure they will stay on when the power goes out. Emergency exit lights aren’t just there to show where exits are or to help you get out when the power goes out. They are also designed to stay on for 90 minutes when the power goes out so that firefighters have some light to get in and get people out who may be trapped. If you don’t see stickers on your emergency exit lights to show those tests are being performed, then they are probably going to fail.

Common Deficiencies

A deficiency is identified during regular inspections when the devices and components do not meet acceptable standards. Here are a few commonly found deficiencies for emergency and exit lighting: