LIGHTING
Shedding light
on the situation
By Tom Austin-Morgan
The faster a hazard can be
identi ed, the easier it is to
avoid. A lighting system that
is suitable for each speci c
location allows people to
assess potential risks to themselves and
others.
Any building that is responsible for
the comfort and welfare of its occupants
must comply with stringent regulations
relating to re detection warning and
escape systems, sprinkler systems and
emergency lighting (see box, right).
Inadequate lighting – too dark, too
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Lighting has a crucial role to play in the safety and security of employees,
site visitors and customers. How to survey and assess both conventional
and emergency lighting systems
requirement for commercial premises
and need to be undertaken at the design
stage, and then at regular intervals. That is
especially true when alterations have been
made to the structure of a building, and
when changes occur within the internal
design which impact the site’s layout, such
as installing partitions or the a ecting of
routes to and from a building.
“Failure to carry out regular and
e cient risk assessments can result in
long-term problems, particularly when it
comes to the emergency lighting scheme,
and may result in new requirements and
legislation being missed,” warns Gardner.
“To address this, assessments should only
be completed by a trained professional
that is fully accredited and competent, and
can document ndings to prove important
appraisals have been completed.”
Emergency lighting systems must be
tested annually for the duration of their
battery life; any failures that are detected
must be recti ed immediately. Many
companies now opt for an automatic
testing system, which enables tests to
take place regularly at periods of low risk.
Dean Greer, ex-electrical engineer
bright or ickering – can cause various
symptoms of sick building syndrome,
including headaches, tiredness and
di culty concentrating. Therefore, it is
important to monitor, survey and assess
lighting systems regularly to make sure
they comply with regulations, and aren’t
contributing to sickness, absences and
injuries.
TESTING FREQUENCY
AND RISK ASSESSMENTS
“One of the most common oversights is
missing risk assessments and irregular
testing,” says Steve Gardner (pictured
above right, lower image). He is managing
director of Eco UK Group, a provider of
mechanical and electrical services for
industrial and commercial businesses.
“Installers of emergency lighting are
required to simulate power failures and
test the duration of its battery life to
ensure that businesses are complying
with BS 5266 and keeping all occupants
safe. However, it’s not unusual to nd that
daily and monthly testing hasn’t been
completed for some time.”
Risk assessments are a legal
74 www.operationsengineer.org.uk Winter 2021
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