Laws for Hotel Emergency Lighting
Emergency lighting laws for hotels throughout the U.S. generally comply with the standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in its publication "Life Safety Code" (also known as "NFPA 101"). All but 11 states have adopted the code as part of their laws. On the federal level, the Life Safety Code standards have been adopted and are enforced by a number of agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Other People Are Reading
-
Emergency Lighting--General Requirements
-
Chapter 7 of the Life Safety Code (LSC) specifies the standards for providing a means of egress or exiting from a building. Section 7.9 specifically addresses the requirements for emergency lighting, which is made applicable to hotels in Chapter 28 of the LSC. In general, the emergency lighting requirements apply to all stairs, aisles, corridors, ramps, escalators and passageways that lead to an exit from the building.
Performance of System
-
The emergency lighting system must perform for a minimum of 90 minutes in the event of a failure of the normal lighting. The system must start automatically in the event of a failure of a public utility or other outside power source, the opening of a circuit breaker of fuse, or any manual act, including accidentally switching off the normal lighting. The initial illumination cannot be less than an average of one foot-candle along the path of egress at floor level, and must remain at a minimum of 0.6 foot-candle average for the entire 90 minutes. In order to avoid excessively bright and dark spots, the maximum illumination at any one point cannot exceed more than 40 times the minimum illumination at any other point.
-
Periodic Testing
-
The LSC requires periodic, functional testing of the emergency lighting system. The system must be tested on a monthly basis for a minimum of 30 seconds, with an annual test that lasts a full 90 minutes. Written records must be made of each test, indicating a visual inspection of the system and a statement regarding the success or failure of each test.
Whole Building Systems
-
Emergency lighting systems fall into two categories, one of which is typically referred to as "whole-building system." This type of system relies on the use of a back-up generator as its power source. The generators must be installed, maintained and tested in accordance with the NFPA's "Standards for Emergency and Standby Power Systems." This type of emergency lighting system is usually installed during the initial planning and construction of the hotel.
Local Installations
-
The second type of emergency lighting system is typically referred to as a "local installation system" and relies on battery systems as a back-up power source. The LSC requires all battery-operated systems to use reliable, rechargeable batteries with the necessary facilities to maintain the batteries in a properly charged condition. The systems must adhere to the requirements of the NFPA's "National Electrical Code."
-
References
- Photo Credit Image by Fotolia.com, courtesy of isatori
