Emergency Lighting and Signs FAQs

LED emergency lights use less energy than emergency lights with traditional fluorescent bulbs and contain less harmful waste. The trickle charge of the battery even with the light off is also lower. LED lights are also longer lasting than tubes.

Whilst Cadmium for use in emergency lighting is currently still allowed, our range of LED emergency lighting products only uses NiMH batteries, which are more environmentally friendly. Government financial assistance is also available to switch to low energy emergency lighting and exit signs, see www.eca.gov.uk.

The IP rating system classifies the protection of emergency lights and exit signs from dust, water and impact afforded by electrical equipment and their enclosures.

The system is recognised in most European countries and is set out in IEC529 (BS EN 60529: 1992) Degrees of Protection provided by Enclosures (IP code).

The degree of protection is expressed as 'IP', followed by two numbers which define the degree of protection. The first digit indicates the extent, to which the equipment is protected against particles, or to which persons are protected from enclosed hazards. The second digit indicates the extent of protection against water.

(2) SOLID - Protected against solid objects over 12mm diameter, not exceeding 80mm long, e.g. fingers
(0) LIQUID - Not protected

(2) SOLID - Protected against solid objects over 12mm diameter, not exceeding 80mm long, e.g. fingers
(3) LIQUID - Protected against sprayed water at up to 60° from the vertical

(4) SOLID - Protects against solid objects over 1.0mm, e.g. small wires
(0) LIQUID - Not protected

(4) SOLID - Protects against solid objects over 1.0mm, e.g. small wires
(3) LIQUID - Protected against sprayed water at up to 60° from the vertical

(4) SOLID - Protects against solid objects over 1.0mm, e.g. small wires
(4) LIQUID - Protected when sprayed from any direction - limited ingress allowed

(5) SOLID - Protects against dust, limited ingress (no harmful deposit)
(4) LIQUID - Protected when sprayed from any direction - limited ingress allowed

(5) SOLID - Protects against dust, limited ingress (no harmful deposit)
(5) LIQUID - Protected against low pressure jets, from all directions - limited ingress allowed

(6) SOLID - Dust tight. Totally protected against dust
(4) LIQUID - Protected when sprayed from any direction - limited ingress allowed

(6) SOLID - Dust tight. Totally protected against dust
(5) LIQUID - Protected against low pressure jets, from all directions - limited ingress allowed

Non maintained means the light will only operate in the event of a mains failure, maintained means the lamp operates at all times and stays lit for the minimum emergency duration after a mains failure.

Our decorative emergency lights are available in either Maintained [lit all the time and will continue to operate after a mains failure] or Non-Maintained [will only come on in the event of a mains failure]. Most of the maintained lights are also switchable, which means they can be wired to function both as ordinary lights and as emergency lights at the same time. Switchable lights are clearly marked as such in the product description. Please visit http://www.safelincs.co.uk/Emergency-Escape-Lighting/

Yes, as this rating identifies that the unit is protected against low pressure jets from all directions - limited ingress permitted.

The emergency lights can be either screwed to the wall or ceiling. The product is linked into the mains lighting system. Often, an interrupt switch is installed to allow the testing of the emergency light (also called fish key switch).

"Luminaire" is the technical term for an emergency light, including the lamp or lamps plus all fixing, connective and protective elements of the fitting. It includes internally illuminated signs.

A test of the battery enclosure of an emergency luminaire. The test is to 850 ?C, as specified in BS EN 60598-2-22, whose purpose is to ensure that the battery circuits are adequately protected so that internal circuit faults will not set fire to the luminaire.

An emergency light or sign that either contains all the parts necessary to function independently (e.g. battery, lamp, control gear, etc.) or whose housing is sited within a metre of these parts.

Yes, if you have a maintained emergency light fitting, it is possible to install the unit as non-maintained. During installation, the "link wire" would need to be removed. On the other hand a non-maintained fitting can not be wired up as maintained.