IOTA Engineering Emergency Lighting Products Technical Library

Below are pertinent sections of the Life Safety Code concerning the use, maintenance, and testing of emergency lighting equipment. Referencing local state and municipal safety codes is also advised, as these may supercede national requirements.

Performance of System
Periodic Testing of Emergency Lighting Equipment
Testing of Self-Diagnostic Equipment

Performance of System

"7.9.2.1 Emergency illumination shall be provided for not less than 1 1/2 hours in the event of failure of normal lighting. Emergency lighting facilities shall be arranged to provide initial illumination that is not less than an average of 10.8 lux (1 ft-candle) and, at any point, not less than 1.1 lux (0.1 ft-candle), measured along the path of egress at floor level. Illumination levels shall be permitted to decline to not less than an average of 6.5 lux (0.6 ft-candle) and, at any point, not less than 6.5 lux (0.06 ft-candle) at the end of the 1 1/2 hours. A maximum-to-minimum illumination uniformity ratio of 40 to 1 shall not be exceeded."

Periodic Testing of Emergency Lighting Equipment

"7.9.3.1.1 Testing of required emergency lighting systems shall be permitted to be conducted as follows:

(1) Functional testing shall be conducted at 30-day intervals for not less than 30 seconds.

(2) Functional testing shall be conducted annually for not less than 1 1/2 hours if the emergency lighting system is battery powered.

(3) The emergency lighting equipment shall be fully operational for the duration of the tests required by 7.9.3.1.1 (1) and 7.9.3.1.1 (2)

(4) Written records of visual inspections and tests shall be kept by the owner for inspection by the authority having jurisdiction."

Testing of Self-Diagnostic Equipment

"7.9.3.1.2 Testing of required emergency lighting systems shall be permitted to be conducted as follows:

(1) Self-testing/self-diagnostic battery-operated emergency lighting equipment shall be provided.

(2) Self-testing/self-diagnostic battery-operated emergency lighting equipment shall automatically perform not less than once every 30 days a test for not less than 30 seconds and a diagnostic routine.

(3) Self-testing/self-diagnostic battery-operated emergency lighting equipment shall indicate failures by a status indicator.

(4) A visual inspection shall be performed at intervals not exceeding 30 days.

(5) Functional testing shall be conducted annually for not less than 1 1/2 hours.

(6) Self-testing/self-diagnostic battery-operated emergency lighting equipment shall be fully operational for the duration of the 1 1/2 hour test.

(7) Written records of visual inspections and tests shall be kept by the owner for inspection by the authority having jurisdiction."

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