LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) requires emergency evacuation lighting for workplaces without natural light. It is therefore illegal not to have emergency evacuation lighting in work areas or public places where no natural light is present. A minimum of 0.3 lux at the floor level is required to enable evacuation but a level of not less than 20 lux is required for moving machinery or where it is necessary to shut down plant or processes where dangerous materials are present. The act also requires that the emergency lighting must be activated within 15 seconds and the emergency lighting must be kept in good working order and tested at intervals of not more than three months.

All emergency lighting must comply with the following requirements of SABS 1464 Part 22:

• Classification: Emergency luminaires shall have labelling to indicate whether they are self contained or centrally supplied, maintained or non-maintained, have test devices and emergency duration. The following symbols shall be used: X = self-contained, Z = central supply, 0 = non-maintained, 1 = maintained, 6 = satellite, A = including test devices, B = including remote rest mode, C = including inhibiting mode, D = high risk task area lighting, 10 = ten minutes duration, 60 = one hour duration, 120 = two hours duration, 180 = three hours duration.

• Marking: Luminaires shall be clearly marked with rated voltage, correct replacement lamps and maximum ambient temperature. Emergency lamp holders in combined luminaires shall be identified by a green dot. A label on the battery pack shall indicate replacement battery details, battery manufacture and commissioning date.

• An instruction leaflet shall be provided detailing test facilities and test procedures.

• Electrical safety: Requirements of SABS 598-1 shall apply.

• Endurance and thermal testing: The unit must satisfy various soak and cycle testing to ensure reliability.

• Battery charge and discharge: The batteries must be charged within 24 hours, deep battery discharge must be prevented and high temperature batteries must be used in self contained emergency luminaires.

• Photometric performance: The luminaire shall provide rated lumen output claimed by the manufacturer during emergency mode for 1 minute after failure of supply and continuously to the end of rated duration. In other words, if the unit is marked as a 50% light output then the emergency light output must be 50% of the mains light output.