emergency lighting in rooms with no windows
- Thread starter lisat
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jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
barbeer
Senior Member
- Location
- Pinellas County, FL
That somewhat depends on where you are and what the school specifies.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Why would not having windows matter?
In a way. NEC 700.16 requires, "Emergency lighting systems shall be designed and installed so that the failure of any individual lighting element, such as a lamp, cannot leave in total darkness any space that requires emergency illumination."
So you can have one 2-lamp fixture supply emergency lighting as long as the 1fc average and 40:1 ratio are met. Some inspectors may consider a ballast as a lighting element so you may be asked to have multiple fixtures.
infinity, the Life Safety Code requires classrooms without windows to have emergency lighting. Also, any classroom over 1000sf since it's considered assembly at that size.
So you can have one 2-lamp fixture supply emergency lighting as long as the 1fc average and 40:1 ratio are met. Some inspectors may consider a ballast as a lighting element so you may be asked to have multiple fixtures.
infinity, the Life Safety Code requires classrooms without windows to have emergency lighting. Also, any classroom over 1000sf since it's considered assembly at that size.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
So a room with windows would not require emergency illumination but the same room without windows would? What if it's dark out?
Pierre C Belarge
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
In regards to the building code, which determines the location and requirement of emergency lighting, it is somewhat dependent on "Occupancy Load."
The school can mandate more than is required, but there are outside influences that determine the need for emergency lighting.
The school can mandate more than is required, but there are outside influences that determine the need for emergency lighting.
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
are you refering to generator supply or battery back up supply for light?
let me rephrase my question. are you asking if the lights in this room need to be on a generator or if this room needs battery backed lights for emergency egress?
This will depend greatly on jurisdiction. In SC the State Guidelines for school construction require emergency lighting for all interior classroom spaces (no windows), but not for classrooms with windows. Other states may be different. NFPA 101 does not apply to schools in SC.
For those questioning the difference, 99% of the use of these spaces will be during daylight hours, meaning the classrooms with windows would not be in total darkness upon loss of power, but the interior classrooms would.
As for 2 battery lights versus one, you can always find some single point in the chain that could fail, the question from a safety standpoint is what element(s) are more likely to fail. In this case the lamps are arguably many times more likely to fail than the ballast or battery. I believe this was the intent of the code writers when requiring redundancy (more than one lamp) and luckily this is how it is interpreted in most jurisdictions I work in.
For those questioning the difference, 99% of the use of these spaces will be during daylight hours, meaning the classrooms with windows would not be in total darkness upon loss of power, but the interior classrooms would.
As for 2 battery lights versus one, you can always find some single point in the chain that could fail, the question from a safety standpoint is what element(s) are more likely to fail. In this case the lamps are arguably many times more likely to fail than the ballast or battery. I believe this was the intent of the code writers when requiring redundancy (more than one lamp) and luckily this is how it is interpreted in most jurisdictions I work in.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
What is required is 1 foot candle at the floor level for the entire path of egress. If you have windows and the school is only occupied when it is light outside then you have met this requirement. If it is dark outside, it doesn't matter how you meet it as long as you meet it.
But like birtclp, we do not inspect schools here in CA, they fall under the states jurisdiction, so I do not know if they have any specific requirements.
But like birtclp, we do not inspect schools here in CA, they fall under the states jurisdiction, so I do not know if they have any specific requirements.
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