NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code, and the International Building Code (IBC) require emergency lighting in all commercial and industrial buildings to facilitate emergency egress of people from the building and to reduce the possibility of panic in buildings during the exiting of large numbers of people during an emergency. This section refers to other Chapters in the Code (Chapters 11-43) to identify most of the specific types of structures that require emergency lighting. Where transfer switches are used for emergency lighting and power, the transfer equipment must only be used for emergency loads based on 700.5(D). This includes stairs designated for emergency exit as well as the aisles, corridors, ramps, escalators and other passageways that lead to an exit. Unit equipment or battery-pack lighting is often used to provide the temporary lighting during power outage. In addition to identifying the types of structures and egress/egress pathways that require emergency lighting, this section also specifically requires emergency lighting for doors equipped with delayed-egress locks and any doors equipped with new sensor-release electrical locking systems. © 2020 Koorsen Fire & Security | PRIVACY POLICY, NFPA 101 Section 7.9 Requirements for Emergency Lighting Systems, contact your local Koorsen Fire & Security branch, emergency lighting for all emergency exits and the pathways. The authority having jurisdiction should be contacted for code interpretations. Here is a summary of the exemptions: ● Locations that are not routinely inhabited by people are exempt. Part V of Article 700 indicates switches installed in emergency lighting circuits must be arranged so that only authorized people have control of emergency lighting. Where unit equipment is not used for emergency illumination or is not the sole source of emergency illumination, an additional source of electrical power may be provided using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), a generator, a fuel cell, or a separate service used to supply emergency lighting. It covers the types of structures that require emergency lighting, the performance requirements for emergency lighting systems, and the requirements for testing to ensure their reliability. In most facilities, the largest part of emergency illumination lights the pathways and exits that lead out of the building—the egress paths. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR? The 2018 edition on the Code also added a fourth option specifically for the testing of your EPSS equipment for your emergency lighting system as opposed to the lighting system itself. Given this requirement, emergency power supply systems (EPSS) – the systems that power your emergency lighting system – are also addressed in this section, mostly by reference to other NFPA codes. This change clarifies that the requirement applies specifically to egress points at which access is controlled electronically as opposed to other means. Emergency lighting is required to illuminate building areas when things go wrong—for example, when the normal electrical supply is interrupted by a utility outage or by a fire or failure within the building. Raising the Standard of Quality: Making installation methods and practices uniform, The Difference Between Life and Death: Proper grounding and bonding in patient-care areas, Minimizing the Choke Effect: Understanding ferrous metal raceway bonding, Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best: Lessons we learned from Y2K, Code FAQs: Service Conductors, Sunlight Resistance and More. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. In addition, the transfer switch is required to be listed for emergency use based on UL 1008, the standard for transfer switches, and must be approved for this application by the authority having jurisdiction as noted in 700.5(A) and (C). All wiring from emergency sources must be kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment, unless in accordance with 700.10(B)(1) through (5). ● Structures that are occupied only during daylight hours may also be exempt if they have windows that provide the required level of illumination for all means of egress and any pathways leading to them and only if approved by the authority having jurisdiction. If power service is interrupted in your building, building occupants need to be able to safely exit without getting hurt. For specific rules and regulations required by your local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), contact your local Koorsen Fire & Security branch to ensure you are compliant.