Emergency Lighting

[ssadvis]

We recently had all emergency light units replaced on a building designated a place of public assembly. Two of the original units had remote heads placed over a exterior door on the outside. Are these required by code or are they just practicle?

 

[bphgravity]

Possibly. The means of egress consists of three separate parts: the exit access, the exit, and the exit discharge. The exit discharge is the area that leads from the exit to the public way. As a place of assembly, it is likely your local building code requires emergency illumination of the means of egress which includes the area you describe.

 

[jtester]

There has also been significant discussion here about whether exterior remote heads powered from an inside fixture are compliant. Looking at 700.12, I believe remote heads installed as I described, could pose a problem with Code as a general practice.

Jim T

 

[Mr. Bill]

The exit discharge is the area that leads from the exit to the public way.

There are a lot of interpretations as to how far past the exit must be lit. If you read in the appendix of this Code it states that the emergency lighting does not have to cover the entire distance to the public way but it does have to cover the path to a safe distance from the building. So what's a safe distance? The Inspectors around here have unofficially settled on 10' from from the building. I think it's reasonable.

Now I'm waiting for manufacturers to make a good selection of outdoor em fixtures which can handle below freezing temps. More specifically, with a LED light source capable of getting 1fc average out to 10'.

 

[jtester]

There are a lot of interpretations as to how far past the exit must be lit. If you read in the appendix of this Code it states that the emergency lighting does not have to cover the entire distance to the public way but it does have to cover the path to a safe distance from the building. So what's a safe distance? The Inspectors around here have unofficially settled on 10' from from the building. I think it's reasonable.

You're right, contact the AHJ. I've sat through presentations where lighting reps were selling battery banks for pole lights, to provide em lighting across a parking lot at a mall.

Jim T

 

[Ragin Cajun]

The IBC also basically requires two lamps so the failure on one doesn't leave the exterior area in the dark.

RC