What Are the Emergency and Exit Lighting Guidelines for Workplaces in QLD
Fire occurrences usually happen unexpectedly and its results can be devastating and damaging to property and people. That’s why emergency and exit lightings are required to be installed for workplaces in QLD.
According to section 2.7 of the AS/NZS 3012:2010, emergency and exit lightings must be installed and maintained in workplaces. This will provide safe passage for employees and visitors in case of emergencies. To know further about the standards about emergency and exit lightings, read here.
Now, allow us to share with you some of the emergency and exit lighting guidelines for workplaces in QLD below.
Guideline for emergency and exit lighting in your workplace in QLD
Installation of emergency and exit lightings in workplaces has a guideline to follow. Check them below to see if your building is following the standards.
What are the places that are required to install emergency and exit lighting in QLD
Here are the criteria for buildings and premises that are required to install emergency and exit lightings.
Premises with over 300m²
The size and type of building can help determine if installing an emergency and exit lighting is required. For example, premises with measurements over 300m² must have these lightings present in their area.
if your building doesn’t have that size, then you may refer to the class of your building to know if you need one. You may call a licensed electrical contractor to assist you with the classification of your building.
Building classes 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9
If your building is classed 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 and has a storey with 300m² and more floor area, it’s required to install emergency and exit lightings.
Spaces with inadequate natural light
Spaces that don’t have enough natural light needs to have a properly installed emergency and exit lighting. This will help to illuminate the space in time of emergency.
Fire-isolated passageway, ramp, and/or stairway
Fire-isolated passageway, ramp, and/or stairway are the areas in your building that needs emergency and exit lighting. These areas can be hard to pass through if there’s no proper illumination.
Emergency and exit lighting checklist for workplaces in QLD
After knowing if your workplace needs to comply with the installation of these vital lightings, here comes the checklist that you must do.
Buildings that are open to the public
If your building is a shopping mall, retail store, or clinics, then most likely it’s open to the public. This adds more reason for you to install emergency and exit lighting in your premises.
Installing these lightings can help ensure that your place is prepared in cases of fire. Hence, it can tell your employees and customers that your place is a safe place to go to.
Enclosed spaces
Emergency and exit lightings are a must in enclosed spaces like vaults, storage room, and electrical rooms. Especially if these spaces are always visited by your employees.
Stairwells with no natural light source
Stairwells with no source of natural light must also have emergency and exit lightings. This will help illuminate the stairs properly and prevent accidental falls.
Powered independently
In a fire even, a power outage may happen. So make sure that your emergency and exit lightings are powered independently. This way, they can still work without help from the main electrical source.
Clearly shows the exit way
If your building is already installed with emergency and exit lightings, the next thing you need to ensure is that it clearly shows the exit way. Or else, it defies the purpose of lighting up the safe way out the building.
These lightings will be the guide of building occupants going to the safe place in case an emergency occurs. So, if they’re not showing clearly the way, then you must have them checked by an electrician.
Enough number of emergency and exit lights
The safety regulations require at least 2 emergency and exit lighting on every floor of a building. However, this may vary on the size and design of the building and the number of employees working in it.
Importance of emergency and exit lighting in QLD workplaces
In case an emergency happens such as fire, would you know where to run?
In this kind of situations, emergency and exit lightings will be the refuge of any people. It illuminates the way out of the building and saves people’s lives.
Fire is an event no one would want to experience. It can destroy properties and worse, take lives. For these reasons, make sure that your building complies to the standards imposed by the law. Install emergency and exit lighting where it’s needed. This can ensure that your employees have a secured place to run in case a crisis occurs.
Call a licensed electrical contractor today and make your place prepared for fire event and other emergencies. Send us a message.