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Fire health & safety

Fire safety standards are crucial for every business. Organizations across all sectors need to prioritize their people and be compliant with health and safety regulations. This includes protecting their employees against fire risks in the working environment. Fire safety standards can help provide a route to that compliance.

Protecting your people from fire risks and hazards

Learn how standards support the provision of occupational health and safety regulations to protect your people from the threat of fire

Emergency lighting standards for your business
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Emergency lighting standards for your business

Whether you’re entering an office, retail shop, cinema, restaurant, or any commercial setting, you’re bound to have noticed the very visible and obvious emergency lighting systems in place around the exits of that building. The Regulatory Reform Order says that the legal requirement is that the user (responsible person) must produce a risk assessment to show that their premises are safe. In most, but not all cases, this will mean that they will need emergency lighting and to meet emergency lighting standard BS 5266-1 to demonstrate that the system meets current best practices. What is emergency lighting? Emergency lighting is lighting that kicks in when there is a mains supply failure. It is a failsafe measure to ensure continued on-site safety and protect the occupants of a building by illuminating areas that lead occupants to the nearest fire exit. In an outage, the lights should remain on for between one and three hours to ensure that all occupants of the building can safely make their way to the exit and attending emergency services can access the building safely if necessary. Then, once power is restored to the building, the lights should recharge. Emergency lighting is vital for fire safety reasons. When the lights in a building go out, it can lead to panic which, in turn, leads to worse outcomes for the occupants of a building. People need clear paths to exits and plenty of light to help them avoid obstacles in an emergency. Not only must premises contain emergency lighting and escape route signage, but the equipment installed must be the correct type, installed in the correct location, and satisfy the requirements of BS 5266-1. To learn more about the importance of fire safety in commercial buildings, click here. BS 5266-1: Emergency lighting code of practice British Standard BS 5266-1 Emergency lighting - Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises is the first in a series of codes of practice on emergency lighting. It provides detailed recommendations and guidance on key factors to consider when designing, installing, and wiring electrical emergency lighting systems. These guidelines ensure the lighting delivers the performance necessary to keep people safe in the building if the normal lighting supply fails. The standard has been written for two audiences: Lighting engineers and electrical contractors who need to protect building occupants from the hazards identified by risk assessments Landlords, employers, and any individual with responsibility for premises such as hospitals, care homes, hotels, guest houses, colleges, boarding schools, day schools, laboratories, clinics, theatres, cinemas, concert halls, sports halls, public houses, restaurants, libraries, shops, museums, sports stadia, covered car parks, factories, workshops, and warehouses. BS 5266-1 promotes a wider understanding of the different types of emergency lighting systems that can be used and gives guidance on how different systems can be correctly applied to different categories of premises with varied requirements. It gives recommendations about the factors that need to be considered in the design, installation, and wiring of electrical emergency escape lighting systems, to provide the lighting performance needed for the safe movement of people if the normal lighting supply fails. This emergency lighting standard also applies to common access routes within blocks of flats or maisonettes and gives recommendations for lighting in areas with fixed seating. BS EN 50172:2024: Emergency escape lighting systems To safeguard building occupants, emergency lighting should operate when the local normal mains lighting fails. BS EN 50172:2024 is a standard that details operational requirements for emergency escape lighting in non-residential buildings, ensuring the systems are installed, verified, and maintained according to strict standards. This includes guidelines on commissioning, testing, and recording procedures to reflect advancements in technology and current practices. The standard emphasizes the importance of safety by ensuring systems deliver safe illumination in emergencies and meet fire safety legislation across Europe. With requirements for initial verification, continuous monitoring, and maintenance, BS EN 50172 ensures long-term performance and adaptability to more complex systems. By defining safety controls, identifying appropriate equipment standards, and detailing what practices to avoid, this updated standard provides comprehensive guidance for ensuring the effectiveness of emergency lighting in all scenarios. The benefits of lighting standards for manufacturers There are also industry standards that manufacturers of emergency lighting products need to adhere to: BS EN 1838:2024 – Lighting applications. Emergency lighting for buildings BS EN 60598-2-22 – Luminaires. Particular requirements for emergency lighting BS EN 50171 – Central power supply systems for luminaires BS EN 62034 – Automatic test systems for battery-powered emergency escape lighting Implementing these standards will benefit your business in many ways, such as enhancing your reputation, standing out from competitors, and increasing your market access. Ensure your organization is meeting health and safety requirements with emergency lighting by adding these emergency lighting standards to your collection today. Discover BSI Knowledge Want to access and manage the standards you need to support your management of workplace safety - all in one place? With a BSI Knowledge subscription, you will have the flexibility and visibility to manage the key standards you need in order to work with confidence and optimize your supply chain. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to a pre-built module and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your standards strategy. Request to learn more.Read more

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