Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

[gsrandy]

Has anyone had to deal with the requirment to have non interuptable egree lighting for commercial buildings? Florida building code 1016.1.2 states egress lighting shall be continuos. 1016.2.2 states up to a 10 second delay is allowable during the changing of power sources. Our L.A.H.J. Interpets it that continuos means continuos, meaning battery back up is required even though we have a standby emergency generator. Any comments?

 

[muskiedog]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

NFPA stipulates means must be provided for automatically energizing emergency lights upon failure of the regualar lighting system supply. For hospitals, the transition time from the instant to failure of the normal power source to an emergency generator source must not exceed 10 seconds. Since you are a normal building not a critical hospital a delay is fine.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Why would you put batteries on an emergancy circuit? Wouldn't that not charge the batteries under normal condition? It seems to me that when the generator kicks on, it will simply charge the battery (which is already dead), not turn on the light!

 

[hurk27]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

By Ryan: Why would you put batteries on an emergancy circuit? Wouldn't that not charge the batteries under normal condition? It seems to me that when the generator kicks on, it will simply charge the battery (which is already dead), not turn on the light!

The emg circuit would be powered by the utility until the ATS kicked over to the generator wouldn't it?
Then the bateries would be charged by both systems and would still be good if the generator failed.

 

[davedottcom]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

If I understand correctly, The AHJ wants the Em. Lts. to illuminate (by battery) during the 10 second delay while power is being transferred...

"1016.2.2 states up to a 10 second delay is allowable during the changing of power sources."

Sounds to me like 1016.2.2 considers the 10-sec. delay to still be considered "continuos".

Does he have a clear explanation for Exactly when 1016.2.2 would apply and when it does not?
Or does he simply disagree with 1016.2.2 and refuses to acknowledge it!?!?

Dave

 

[rick hart]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

This sounds like an argument you are going to lose whether you are right or not.
A commercial building does not have the requirement of having a Level 1 (10 second max delay) emergency power supply like a hospital does.
That may be his reasoning but, that's only my guess.

 

[benaround]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

gsrandy,

702.2 Optional Standby System----------where life safty does not depend on the performance-----.

Does this make sense to you?

frank

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Where would it not be an issue ? 10 seconds is a long time if you just had a fire.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Originally posted by jimwalker:
Where would it not be an issue ? 10 seconds is a long time if you just had a fire.

I have the evidence video of the nightclub fire in Rhode Island at "The Station". I agree, 10 seconds is an eternity. In that video, the entire building is consumed in about three minutes. That is only 18 10 second segments

 

[roger]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Article 702 is not dealing with emergency systems.


Roger

 

[benaround]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

That's exactly the point,you can't reley on this OSGen for emergency,hence the battery backup system.

frank

 

[iwire]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Originally posted by roger:
Article 702 is not dealing with emergency systems.
Roger

Roger you and I are thinking alike again but I did notice that the opening post called it a "standby emergency generator".

I am not sure if it is 700, 702 or both.

I visited the make shift memorial at the site and ended up crying, something that has very rarely happened with me. Far to many children lost both parents in that blaze.

[ June 17, 2005, 06:48 PM: Message edited by: iwire ]

 

[roger]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Frank, the generator in Gsrandy's original post is an Emergency Generator, article 700 or 701, not an Optional Standby Generator.

The 10 second allowance to transfer as stated is code compliant.

We install battery packs in O.R.'s for obvious reasons, due to the usual 5 to 7 second delay to transfer.

Roger

 

[roger]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Sorry Bob, I had to take a call while I was typing and you got your post in.

I interpreted the "emergency" part of the first post as meaning a 700 or 701 system.

Roger you and I are thinking alike again

a common occurance.

Roger

[ June 17, 2005, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: roger ]

 

[iwire]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Originally posted by roger:
I interpreted the "emergency" part of the first post as meaning a 700 or 701 system.

You are probably correct, I had focused on standby.

 

[iwire]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Originally posted by roger:
We install battery packs in O.R.'s for obvious reasons, due to the usual 5 to 7 second delay to transfer.

"Nurse did you hear where I dropped that scalpel"

 

[roger]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

Originally posted by iwire:

Originally posted by roger:
We install battery packs in O.R.'s for obvious reasons, due to the usual 5 to 7 second delay to transfer.

"Nurse did you hear where I dropped that scalpel"

Or even worse, Nurse, what did I just cut off of this patient?

Roger

 

[redfish]

Re: Continuos Emergeny lighting in Egress areas (Fl. Buildin

gsrandy, </font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">How about installing your emergency egress lighting with a battery back-up, and feed them from one of your emergency power panels.</font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you lose your utility, your transfer should happen and you should then have emergency generater power</font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If for some reason, your generater does not power up (oops),you still have emergency egress lighting.</font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Take into account that during normal (utility) power conditions, your emergency power panels are powered by utility power, and only after you lose utility power would your transfer from utility to emergency happen. This way, you should always have emergency egress lighting. </font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">