Emergency lights for stationary objects

                                                                                         

Construction sites should be fully lit with emergency lights to prevent accidents. And public buildings like theaters and factories should have emergency provision to evacuate people in case of power failures. In the mental dictionaries of most of us, these lights that shine like a halo atop police vehicles, making them pro tem divinities of the streets. Or we may associate emergency lights with the plaintive lights of ambulances that remind us of hospital corridors and human mortality.

However, stationary objects too may have to declare their presence and control their needs through lights as much as movable objects. One such stationary object is a construction site. Buildings generally get connected to the main power line only after work is complete. So while work is going on emergency lights like strobe beacons, or halogen or LED lights should be mounted to the sides of the half done building, and on machinery like tower cranes, or concrete mixers.

Emergency lights are in reality a necessity for even finished and functional buildings as a protection against the eventuality of power failures. While it may not be practical or economical to equip homes with emergency lighting against possible power failures, public buildings like theaters, industrial establishments, warehouses, or carnival venues need to install emergency lights systems in their building.

In theaters, carnival venues etc. emergency lights are necessary to evacuate people in case of an unexpected power breakdown. Towards that end it is the exit routes and escape routes that have to be fully equipped with emergency lights in such buildings and not the stage or stalls that will also become non functional when power fails.

In places like warehouses, factories etc. while it is necessary to have emergency lights in the escape routes, it is also necessary to have emergency lights in places where machinery is being operated. This is to prevent operational failure, and also to prevent injury resulting from collision with machine parts, or heavy cargo, in darkness.

In all these places, every exit door must essentially be equipped with emergency lights. Green and red emergency lights of 'EXIT' sign will be available with all light manufacturers. In buildings where there are emergency escape routes other than the normal exit doors, these routes should also have colorful 'EXIT' signs to guide the users. Though people are discouraged to use lifts during such emergencies, lifts should also be lit with emergency lights during power failures.

Machinery and other equipments that need to be shut down during emergencies also need to have emergency lights for closing them down. And the emergency provision in buildings should last at least one hour so that people can be safely evacuated and the building can be locked after switching off the electric lights. However, one hour is the minimum time that lights should function. With larger buildings, emergency lights should preferably have power reserve to function for at least three hours.

In buildings where emergency lights are installed, they should be tested frequently to make sure that they are in good working condition. There should also be an annual 'complete discharge test' when emergency lights are switched on and allowed to remain lit as long as they will, to correctly assess how many hours of lighting they can provide.

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