Category: General

In any building, ensuring a safe and orderly evacuation during emergencies is essential. Emergency exit lights play a crucial role in guiding occupants to safety by providing illuminated paths to exits in case of power outages or low visibility conditions. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into everything you need to know about , including their importance, types, installation, maintenance, and common questions

 

Emergency exit lights, also known as egress lighting or evacuation lighting, are luminous fixtures installed in buildings to illuminate pathways to exits during emergencies. These lights are designed to remain illuminated even in the event of a power failure, ensuring that occupants can safely navigate through corridors, stairwells, and other escape routes.

Importance of Emergency Exit Lights

The importance of emergency exit lights cannot be overstated, as they play a critical role in:

• Safety: Emergency exit lights provide clear guidance to occupants, reducing the risk of panic and facilitating a swift and orderly evacuation during emergencies.
• Compliance: Regulatory authorities often require the installation of emergency exit lights in commercial and public buildings to comply with fire safety codes and building regulations.
• Visibility: In low visibility conditions, such as smoke-filled environments or nighttime evacuations, emergency exit lights enhance visibility and aid in identifying exit routes.

Types of Emergency Exit Lights

There are several types of emergency exit lights available, each designed to suit different building layouts and evacuation requirements:

1. Wall-Mounted Exit Lights: These lights are mounted on walls near exit doors and provide directional illumination to guide occupants towards exits.
2. Ceiling-Mounted Exit Lights: Ceiling-mounted exit lights are installed on ceilings and provide overhead illumination along escape routes.
3. Recessed Exit Lights: Recessed exit lights are installed flush with the ceiling or wall surface, offering a streamlined appearance while providing effective illumination.
4. Combination Exit Signs: Combination exit signs incorporate both text and pictograms to indicate exit routes and are often used in conjunction with illuminated exit lights.

Installation of Emergency Exit Lights

Proper installation of emergency exit lights is crucial to ensure their effectiveness during emergencies. The installation process typically involves:

1. Assessment and Planning: A thorough assessment of the building layout is conducted to determine the optimal locations for installing emergency exit lights.
2. Mounting: The lights are securely mounted on walls, ceilings, or other designated locations along exit routes, ensuring they are visible from various vantage points.
3. Wiring: Electrical wiring is connected to power the emergency exit lights, with provisions for battery backup to ensure continued operation during power outages.
4. Testing: After installation, the lights are tested to verify proper operation and compliance with safety standards.

Maintenance of Emergency Exit Lights

Regular maintenance is essential to ensure the reliability and functionality of emergency exit lights. Maintenance tasks may include:

• Testing: Periodic testing of emergency exit lights to ensure they illuminate properly and remain functional.
• Cleaning: Removing dust, dirt, and other debris from the light fixtures to maintain optimal brightness and visibility.
• Battery Replacement: Replacing batteries in battery-operated emergency exit lights as needed to ensure uninterrupted operation during power outages.
• Repairs: Addressing any issues or malfunctions promptly to prevent disruptions in emergency lighting.

Common Questions about Emergency Exit Lights

1. Are emergency exit lights required by law in the UAE?
   • Yes, regulatory authorities in the UAE often mandate the installation of emergency exit lights in commercial, industrial, and public buildings to comply with fire safety regulations.
2. How long do emergency exit lights typically last?
   • The lifespan of emergency exit lights varies depending on factors such as usage, environmental conditions, and maintenance practices. However, most lights are designed to last several years before requiring replacement.
3. Do emergency exit lights require regular testing?
   • Yes, regular testing of emergency exit lights is essential to ensure their proper functioning during emergencies. Testing frequency may vary depending on regulatory requirements and building codes.
4. Can emergency exit lights be integrated with other emergency systems, such as fire alarms?
   • Yes, emergency exit lights can be integrated with other emergency systems, such as fire alarms and emergency lighting controls, to provide a comprehensive emergency preparedness solution.

Conclusion

Emergency exit lights are a vital component of building safety, providing essential illumination to guide occupants to safety during emergencies. By understanding their importance, types, installation, maintenance, and common questions, building owners and operators can ensure the effective operation of emergency exit lights and enhance overall safety and preparedness. With Resco’s reliable solutions and commitment to safety, you can trust that your emergency lighting needs are in capable hands.

The journey from planning a fire safety system for a building to choosing the best Dubai hills mall approved fire contractor is not a cakewalk. One needs to cross multiple hurdles provided the person is eager to work with the best professional in the city. It is indeed true that there will be hundreds of names popping up on enquiring about the fire contractors.

But you cannot choose any name randomly since the building’s safety depends on your decision. So, to take you out of this dilemma, here are some major factors you should remember before finalizing the best fire approved contractor in Dubai.

Company profile and experience

First and foremost, you need to check the company’s profile to know more about it. In other words, you should check its profile to understand the overall experience it has earned. Also, ensure the company has at least three to four years of experience as a fire contractor service.

You should also review past client reviews or cross-check past projects. This will help you understand if they chose a Dubai hills mall approved fire contractor that can meet your standards or not.

Engineering and work culture

A company that believes in a positive work attitude, discipline, and punctuality have higher productivity. So, if you do not want to receive a few bad services from the fire contractor company, choose a firm that values its technicians’ safety, work ethics, and engineering skills.

Once you do so, choosing the best company handling fire system installation and designing contracts in Dubai will become much easier.

Methodologies and practices

Now comes the most interesting topic of this entire discussion: the list of methodologies and practices. If the fire contractors resort to old-age or absolute techniques, there is no way you will have maximum yield from the fire systems. So, check which practices the professionals are implementing to get the fire safety system installed or repaired within the complex.

Furthermore, all these methodologies and practices must adhere to the industry policies, compliances, rules, and regulations. Violation of these causes will put you both in jeopardy, something you certainly don’t want.

Pricing

The pricing is one of the key considerations for choosing the best Dubai hills mall approved fire contractor. In other words, you should check how much the company charges you for the installation, repair, maintenance, servicing, or replacement services. If the price rate is within your affordable range, there is nothing to reconsider.

However, if the claimed charges exceed the market stipulation, you should move to the second option. But ensure not to bargain a lot because that might reduce the work quality.

Equipment unit

The best Dubai hills mall approved fire contractor will always use standard and latest equipment for installing, maintaining, repairing, and replacing the fire safety systems. If not, the entire arrangement will be at a compromise, something that none would want.

Conclusion

Since now you understand the top factors to consider to choose the best Dubai hills mall approved fire contractor, your job is to make a list first. Now, start striking off the names based on the factors we have explained. Ultimately, you will have a single name with which you can further discuss.

Every building, whether a commercial mall or a factory outlet, must have appropriate safety systems installed, especially against fires. Many options can help contain the flames and prevent further damage, from fire extinguishers to fire suppressants. This is the part where property safety gets covered. But what about the civilians present inside the complex? To escort them out safely, most building owners install emergency exit lights.

These are nothing but rectangular boxes on which EXIT word is carved using LED tubes. It usually glows with a green or red hue to create a visual contrast. Based on how huge the building is and the number of entrances it has, there can be more than one exit light. Owners need to ensure these lights are monitored and maintained throughout.

What is the most common problem with emergency exit lights?

The most common problem with emergency exit lightsis that they can burn out anytime without any indication. If that happens, no indication will be there for others about the safety entrance or exit door. As a result, there will be chaos inside, and the chances of fatal accidents or injuries are way more than one can comprehend.

That’s why knowing about the exit light burnout signs is imperative. This not only helps prevent such a worse scenario but also ensures everyone gets escorted outside safely. But the question is, what causes the exit light to burn out?

First of all, most exit lights have small LEDs connected in series with one another. Inside one LED bulb, a tungsten filament is responsible for converting electricity into light energy. If, somehow, the tungsten gets oxidized or breaks, the LED won’t be able to glow, and the entire circuit will go black. This is what we call a burning out of the emergency exit light.

How to identify emergency exit light burnout signs?

There are certain ways to identify whether the emergency exit lights have burnt out. The following are some of the most accurate ones.

1. The main bulb is not glowing: Every exit sign needs one or more main bulbs that will glow continuously 24×7 without any break. If it is not glowing, it means the exit light has burnt out, and you need professional help.
2. Low voltage: If the bulb attached to the exit light constantly flickered, the gas pressure inside decreased. As a result, the voltage output is not as expected, so you must replace the bulb as soon as possible.
3. Reserve battery: In rare cases, the fault is associated with the battery providing power to the emergency exit light. It either needs a brief repair or an entire replacement to provide continuous power to the light.

When the emergency exit light needs an entire replacement?

You must replace the entire set if the bulb is damaged in the emergency exit lights. That’s because the output won’t be satisfactory even when you repair it. So, instead of spending more money on repairing it, you can get it replaced.

Conclusion

With this above discussion, you now understand what exactly is meant by the statement that emergency exit lights have burnt out. Based on this, it’s your call whether you want the damage to get repaired or replaced or want to take action effective immediately.