Emergency Lighting Outside Egress Doors

[iwire]

I have some questions on the requirements to provide egress lighting at an exit door.

1)Do building codes require the egress to be provided with lighting outside the building?

2)Does this lighting have to be available during a power failure?

3)If the above is correct can I assume 700.16 applies?

700.16 Emergency Illumination.
Emergency illumination shall include all required means of egress lighting, illuminated exit signs, and all other lights specified as necessary to provide required illumination.

Emergency lighting systems shall be designed and installed so that the failure of any individual lighting element, such as the burning out of a light bulb, cannot leave in total darkness any space that requires emergency illumination.

Where high-intensity discharge lighting such as high- and low-pressure sodium, mercury vapor, and metal halide is used as the sole source of normal illumination, the emergency lighting system shall be required to operate until normal illumination has been restored.

Exception: Alternative means that ensure emergency lighting illumination level is maintained shall be permitted.

4)Does this mean that the emergency lighting must come from two lamps outside the door?

The reason I ask is this, I am being told by an inspector that one lamp outside the door is sufficient as there is one inside the door and that inside lamp will be the second source of light required by 700.16.

I am also told that the exception to 700.16 is what allows this inside light to be counted as the second source of light.

I must say I find this absurd that we can count the light on the other side of a door as a second source of light. , Bob

[ November 27, 2004, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: iwire ]

 

[websparky]

Re: Emergency Lighting Outside Egress Doors

To read the thread and see what was actually said:
Click Here

[ November 27, 2004, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: websparky ]

 

[iwire]

Re: Emergency Lighting Outside Egress Doors

That will work too.

 

[steve66]

Re: Emergency Lighting Outside Egress Doors

Our AHJ says yes, yes, and yes.

Personally, I would like a definition of "total darkness". I'm not sure an outside area would be in "total darkness".

I have noticed some outdoor wallpacks can be lamped with 2 compact fluorescent tubes. I have been using these.

Steve