Why September Is a Good Time to Review Your Commercial Emergency Lighting
As summer comes to an end and the evenings begin drawing in, businesses across Harlow and Essex start preparing their premises for autumn and winter.
Heating systems are switched back on, exterior lighting becomes increasingly important and employees may arrive or leave work in darkness.
It's also a sensible time to ask a simple question:
If the power failed today, would your emergency lighting work when you needed it?
Emergency lighting can be easy to overlook because, under normal circumstances, you may barely notice it. But if the normal lighting supply fails, an effective emergency lighting system can play a vital role in helping employees, customers and visitors safely navigate and leave a building.
At Positive Connection Ltd, we provide emergency lighting installation, testing and maintenance in Harlow and the surrounding Essex and Hertfordshire areas for businesses and commercial property owners.
Here are some of the things worth considering as we head into the darker months.
Why Is Emergency Lighting Important?
Emergency lighting is designed to provide illumination when a building's normal lighting supply fails.
Depending on the building and its emergency lighting arrangements, it may illuminate areas such as:
Escape routes
Corridors
Stairways
Exit doors
Changes in floor level
Open areas
Final exits
Locations containing important safety equipment
When normal lighting fails unexpectedly, these areas can quickly become difficult to navigate.
Emergency lighting therefore forms an important part of a commercial property's wider fire and safety arrangements.
Why Autumn Is a Good Time to Check Your Emergency Lighting
Emergency lighting is important throughout the year, but the arrival of autumn provides a useful reminder to check that your system is working correctly.
During summer, many employees may arrive and leave work during daylight.
By autumn and winter, the situation changes.
Staff may arrive before sunrise and leave after dark, while customers and visitors may also be using car parks, entrances, stairways and communal areas with much less natural light available.
September is therefore a useful opportunity to review emergency lighting before the darker months are fully underway.
1. Don't Assume Emergency Lights Are Working
One of the challenges with emergency lighting is that you may not know there's a problem during normal day-to-day operation.
A fitting can look perfectly normal while the building's standard lighting is working.
Problems may include:
Failed batteries
Damaged fittings
Faulty components
Charging problems
Failed lamps
Electrical faults
Equipment that doesn't operate correctly when the normal supply fails
Appropriate testing helps identify these issues before an emergency occurs.
Find out more about our Emergency Lighting Installation & Testing services.
2. Has Your Building Changed During the Year?
Businesses change.
You might have:
Rearranged an office
Installed new partitions
Created additional rooms
Changed storage layouts
Altered warehouse racking
Refurbished part of the premises
Changed how an area is used
Created a different route through the building
Changes to the layout or use of a building may mean existing safety arrangements should be reviewed.
If you've made significant alterations to your premises since your emergency lighting was originally installed or assessed, it may be worth having the system reviewed.
3. Check Escape Routes and Exits
Walk through your premises as though the normal lights weren't working.
Could employees and visitors clearly identify the route out?
Pay particular attention to:
Corridors
Stairways
Exit doors
Changes in direction
Changes in floor level
Communal areas
Final exits
This isn't a substitute for a professional assessment, but it can help identify obvious issues that warrant further investigation.
4. Don't Forget Warehouses and Industrial Premises
Emergency lighting can be particularly important in larger commercial and industrial environments.
Warehouses and industrial buildings may have:
Large open areas
High-level lighting
Racking
Machinery
Multiple exits
Internal offices
Loading areas
Changing layouts
If the normal lighting suddenly fails, navigating these environments can become much more difficult.
Regular inspection, testing and maintenance can help ensure emergency lighting remains operational and appropriate for the premises.
5. Schools Should Review Emergency Lighting Too
With pupils and staff now returning for the new academic year, September is also a good time for schools, academies and other educational premises to consider their wider electrical safety arrangements.
Schools may contain classrooms, halls, stairways, corridors, offices and communal areas used by large numbers of people every day.
Emergency lighting should therefore form part of an appropriate ongoing safety and maintenance programme.
Positive Connection Ltd works with schools and commercial organisations across Harlow and the surrounding areas with electrical inspection, testing and maintenance.
6. Landlords and Property Managers – Think Beyond Individual Premises
If you're responsible for a commercial building or managed property, emergency lighting can form part of your wider building safety responsibilities.
Communal areas may include:
Entrance halls
Corridors
Staircases
Shared facilities
Internal walkways
Exit routes
Rather than waiting for tenants to report a failed fitting, a planned inspection and maintenance programme can help identify issues proactively.
Learn more about our Landlord Electrical Services.
7. Keep Appropriate Testing and Maintenance Records
Good record keeping is an important part of managing commercial premises.
Maintaining appropriate records of emergency lighting inspections, tests, maintenance and repairs can help demonstrate that the system is being actively managed.
It also provides useful information for future maintenance by showing:
When inspections were carried out
What was tested
Whether faults were identified
What remedial work was completed
Whether recurring problems exist
For businesses managing several sites, good records become even more valuable.
8. What If an Emergency Light Isn't Working?
Don't simply leave it until the next scheduled inspection.
If you notice an emergency light that appears damaged, isn't showing the expected indicator or doesn't operate correctly during an appropriate test, arrange for it to be investigated.
The issue could relate to the battery, fitting, electrical supply or another component.
A qualified electrical professional can investigate the problem and recommend the appropriate repair or replacement.
hink About Your Wider Electrical Safety This Autumn
Emergency lighting doesn't operate in isolation.
September can also be an ideal time to review other areas of your commercial electrical installation.
This might include:
EICR Testing
An Electrical Installation Condition Report can help assess the condition of your fixed electrical installation and identify defects or deterioration.
PAT Testing
Businesses use numerous portable electrical appliances every day. Appropriate inspection and testing can form part of your wider approach to managing electrical equipment safely.
Fault Finding
Flickering lights, frequently tripping circuits, damaged sockets and other electrical problems shouldn't simply become accepted as part of an ageing building.
Electrical Maintenance
Planned maintenance can help identify issues before they result in disruption, downtime or more significant repair work.
Taking a proactive approach can be much easier than waiting until something fails during the busiest part of the year.
An Autumn Electrical Checklist for Your Business
As we head towards winter, ask yourself:
Has our emergency lighting been appropriately tested?
Have any fittings been damaged or failed?
Has the layout of our premises changed?
Are escape routes and exits appropriately illuminated?
Are our electrical inspection and maintenance records up to date?
Have staff reported electrical faults?
Are there damaged sockets, switches or cables?
Is our EICR inspection programme up to date?
Does any portable electrical equipment require inspection or testing?
Are there electrical maintenance jobs we've been putting off?
If any of those questions raise concerns, now is a good time to address them.
Emergency Lighting Services in Harlow & Surrounding Areas
Positive Connection Ltd provides professional emergency lighting installation, testing, maintenance and repairs for commercial premises throughout Harlow, Essex, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas.
We work with:
Businesses
Offices
Schools
Retail premises
Warehouses
Industrial units
Landlords
Property managers
Commercial property owners
Whether you need an existing emergency lighting system tested, have a faulty fitting that needs investigating or require a new installation, our experienced electricians are here to help.
Is Your Business Ready for the Darker Months?
Autumn arrives quickly, and electrical maintenance is much easier to deal with proactively than during an unexpected failure.
If you're responsible for a commercial property, September is a good opportunity to review your emergency lighting and wider electrical systems before winter.
Contact Positive Connection Ltd today to discuss your requirements, arrange an inspection or request a quotation.
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