This question was answered by Jonathan Bell, commercial director of Liteplan Limited.

Finding energy savings on a scheme that utilises GU10 or T8 fluorescent fixtures tends to be considered as the low hanging fruit of lighting upgrades. Emergency lighting requirements however, are often left to the last minute leading to a panic purchase whilst installation takes place. Occasionally there are compatibility issues too.

A conventional emergency conversion relies on a connection to the low voltage cables found between the driver and the LED load. In the case of  GU10 and T8 LED tubes access to these cables is not possible. To solve this problem an emergency pack is needed to power the primary side of the driver.

In some cases a cost effective emergency control gear will be capable of carrying out the task, however at the other end of the spectrum, the driver can only be powered by pure sine wave AC. Not only is this option incredibly expensive, but the pack can be extremely bulky.

There are a vast choice of GU10 and T8 LED lamps available, a majority of which are compatible for use with smaller emergency packs. It is important though to check compatibility with your emergency lighting control gear before making a purchase.

Tube manufacturers are well known for the constant evolution of their designs, however, when carrying out upgrades, small components within the driver are often changed, leading to a knock-on effect on compatibility with emergency control gear.

It is therefore crucial that a record is kept of part numbers and batch codes. Emergency lighting control gear manufacturers should have an extensive database of test results available to help you further with this issue.

Visit www.novelenergylighting.com today to explore LED emergency fittings and packs

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Defective emergency lighting fixtures have landed The Wildwood restaurant chain in court.

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The emergency lighting installations in half of our public buildings no longer meets the required lighting standards. That’s the conclusion of a major survey of emergency equipment installers commissioned by fire detection manufacturer Hochiki Europe.

The report reveals that 56 per cent of European businesses are failing to keep their safety systems up to date following fit-outs and refurbishments.

One of the major problems appears to arise as a consequence of internal refurbishments, when areas are reorganised to suit new requirements, but the emergency lighting is not altered to suit those changes.

Standards are clear that any change to a designated escape routes requires a similar adjustment in the lighting of that route. A new risk assessment is also essential before any installation can be deemed to be fit for purpose and that includes an assessment of any designated illumination for fire-fighting equipment stations. If equipment is shifted from one place to another, then dedicated lighting needs to follow it.

Maintenance is also singled out as an issue. The survey suggests that building owners see emergency lighting as a fit-and-forget system, with 55 per cent of the survey respondents reporting that customers seem to be more concerned with initial expenditure rather than the on-going cost of running and maintaining the system. Almost a quarter of those surveyed felt that building managers see maintenance as an unnecessary expense, with almost 75 per cent seeing system maintenance as a ‘tick box’ exercise.

The top five failings reported were:

• Inadequate emergency lighting signage
• Inadequate illuminance levels
• Blocked emergency exits
• Batteries not charged or not working
• Inadequate logbook records being kept

‘Many building owners do not realise that new fire risk assessments should be carried out when a room or building has had a change of use,’ says Simon Massey of Hochiki. ‘As an industry, we need to help building owners understand such fire safety regulations.’

Upgrade your emergency lighting. Speak to us to discuss your requirements: 0208-540-8287, or visit us www.novelenergylighting.com to explore emergency lighting options.

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Did you know you could be sent to prison if your emergency lighting doesn’t comply with the law? Experts from Lux’s Emergency Lighting Conference explain how to stay out of trouble.

Featured in this video:
Alan Daniels, P4
David Wright, ELP and ICEL
Richard Beesley, Mackwell
Steve Dilloway, ABB Emergi-Lite

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