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Emergency lighting follows a straightforward layout when used in commercial buildings; however, mixed-use buildings require a very personalised and specific layout that caters to the complex nature of the building.
A mixed-use building is any building that combines residential and commercial activities. For example, buildings that feature shops on the ground floor and flats on top are a great example of mixed-use buildings.
These buildings need to account for both commercial and residential laws for installing and maintaining emergency lighting systems.
Read below to learn more about the use of emergency lighting in mixed-use buildings and what you need to know about the installation process:
Emergency lighting is designed to help people see when the primary lighting system fails due to a power outage or a serious threat like fire.
Buildings require emergency lighting because it allows people to see and safely exit during an emergency. When visiting new places, we tend to panic during an outage because the human mind automatically goes into a panic mode.
Panicking in this scenario is very bad because it can lead to chaos and worse, stampedes that can take lives.
This is where emergency lighting comes in. These lights are designed to illuminate during an emergency and guide people in a way that they can safely evacuate the area.
You will probably see emergency lights installed in commercial spaces around hallways, stairs, or near firefighting equipment. The exit and entry signs that you see above doors that light up even during blackouts are also part of the emergency lighting system.
Emergency lighting is a requirement for properties that frequently see public footfall or where people are employed. Properties that do not require emergency lighting include individual houses and privately occupied flats within larger residential blocks. However, when residential spaces are part of mixed-use buildings, the scenario is different.
Properties that would generally need emergency lighting include:
Emergency lighting directly deals with public safety, which is why it is heavily regulated by law and standards that define when and where it is required, the level of illumination it must provide, and how often it should be serviced and maintained.
Just to recap, a mixed-use building is any building that:
Each of these buildings may require a slightly different emergency lighting installation and placement strategy, even though they share a structure.
According to UK regulations, emergency lighting in mixed-use buildings is governed by the Regulatory Reform Order of 2005, the British Standards (BS) 5266-1 and the British Standards EN 1838. These regulations outline where the lighting is required, the lamination levels, testing, and maintenance.
Mixed-use buildings are an amalgamation of different types of buildings and are becoming increasingly popular since space is limited and many builders prefer to have buildings with a combination of commercial and residential activities.
Here is why mixed-use buildings are treated differently when it comes to emergency lighting:
Mixed-use buildings have multiple Points of Contact or responsible persons, each with their own separate job description.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, each commercial unit which includes shops and offices usually needs to have its own responsible person, while landlords or managing agents are responsible for common areas.
This creates a split responsibility model, which must be clearly defined so that each person can perform their duty effectively. For example, the landlords can assign a responsible person to oversee the emergency lighting system for the hallways and exits in the residential spaces.
Meanwhile, the commercial space will have a different responsible person who will be tasked with a broader range of responsibilities that include checking the emergency lighting system and ensuring that everything is in order.
Mixed-use buildings often share escape routes, which is why the layout of the emergency lighting system must be optimised. For example, the corridors, stairwell, and entrances are often shared.
These areas must always be illuminated, regardless of who uses them, and the lighting must function properly for all users, including residents, public/visitors, and staff.
Mixed-use buildings have a varying degree of risk involved. Since these buildings have a combination of residential and commercial use, the lighting system needs to be installed in a way that caters to both needs.
For example, a building with offices at the top and a busy restaurant at the bottom will need to have a lighting system that accounts for both. This is why different lux levels may need to be used, and duration requirements, which usually range from 1 to 3 hours, may need to be adjusted.
There are two strategies for installing emergency lights for mixed-use buildings.
The first option is to go with a separate system where each tenant installs and maintains their own system. This option offers simpler and clearer responsibility, but can lead to inconsistency.
The other option is to go with an integrated setup where a central emergency lighting system covers the entire building.
This setup is often preferred in modern development projects and is easier to monitor. However, it does require a transparent and separate maintenance contract to ensure that the system is maintained throughout the building.
There are four types of emergency lighting, and in the case of mixed-use buildings, you will probably see a combination of these lights in different areas:
These lights can be found on exits. Exit route lighting is used to illuminate fire escapes and emergency exits to help occupants of a building evacuate safely. They are usually the big red signs that say “EXIT” on top of doors.
Also known as “anti-panic” lighting systems, these lights are installed in open areas to provide adequate light for a safe escape during an emergency or fire. They can be seen on open parking lots and are indispensable at night.
These lights can be seen in factories and are placed over heavy or dangerous machinery. During emergencies, these lights are kept on long enough for the workers to stop working, switch off the machinery, put down the tools, and evacuate safely.
This type of lighting is automatically switched on when the power goes out. It is the most classic form of emergency lights; however, they are not required by law. They can be found in residential spaces and are usually powered by a diesel generator.
As mentioned above, the British Standard provides specific guidance for installing emergency lighting systems in buildings such as offices, schools, colleges, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, shops, museums, and other multi-storey buildings.
These guidelines outline:
For a mixed-use building, the building owner will have to appoint separate responsible people who can oversee the emergency lighting system for all areas in the building. This includes shops, restaurants, offices, and flats.
Here are just a few of the requirements that the “responsible person” must look after:
Since mixed-use buildings have a slightly higher risk, they may be heavily scrutinised, which is why failure to follow these regulations may result in heavy fines, businesses being forcibly shut down, and even prison sentences.
In the case of mixed-use buildings, the best course of action would be to go with professional emergency lighting installation.
Professional installation can guarantee safety, and since installation companies take full responsibility for the setup, you can bet that they will follow all the industry standards and best practices for installation.
One aspect of emergency lighting installation has to do with positioning. Placement plays a crucial role because installing the lights incorrectly could put the occupants in jeopardy.
The lights should be placed very specifically, using standard heights according to the size of the room. They must be placed in a way where they serve their purpose and illuminates the exits and escape routes in the building. As per regulations, building owners must use illuminated signs if the emergency exit isn’t easily identifiable by the occupants.
Mixed-use buildings must have emergency lights in the following areas:
The non-escape route areas where emergency lighting should be installed include:
Different lux levels apply to commercial and residential spaces. Lux levels can also change according to the type of emergency lighting as well:
Just like any other electrical system, emergency lights must also be regularly serviced, more importantly so because of their role in safety for the occupants. Typically, you should expect to service the lights every 6 months with full-duration testing every 12 months.
There are two ways emergency lighting can be tested and serviced:
This testing requires a trained professional to simulate a power outage by cutting off the mains supply. This is done to assess whether the emergency lighting system is working as it should.
For commercial buildings, this can be done after business hours when there is no one in the building. However, for mixed-use buildings, this type of testing can be difficult, which is why most maintenance activities are done in “zones” or parts. The inspector will manually go around the building to check the lighting and see whether they are working as intended.
Automatic testing utilises self-testing technology, reducing labour costs and human error through automated diagnostics and LED status indicators.
Automatic tests are not as disruptive and time-consuming, and there are different formats to match the requirements for different types of buildings. While auto-testing has higher initial costs, it is more efficient for large sites, making them perfect for complex mixed-use buildings.
The frequency of emergency light testing depends on the size and complexity of the mixed-use building. Servicing and general maintenance can take place monthly, biannually, or annually.
However, responsible persons are often tasked with daily servicing duties that include visual inspections to make sure the emergency lighting system is functional.
According to the guidelines outlined in BS 5266, all emergency lighting systems must be tested at least once a month, or else property owners risk non-compliance. Monthly tests are usually quick “flick” tests performed to check if the emergency light switches work.
Annual tests or full-duration tests are more thorough and are done to check if the emergency lights remain on for the duration specified by the British Standards. These findings are logged in a document that is shared with the building owner and kept for historical record-keeping.
We have been providing electrical services to residential, commercial, and industrial properties for over 40 years and are specialists in all aspects of electrical installations, maintenance, and testing.
We are NICEIC registered, follow the current wiring regulations, and have experienced and fully qualified electrical engineers on hand to deliver a professional and high-quality service that includes emergency lighting installation and servicing.
We have been undertaking electrical work since 1976 and are specialists in the field. If you have unplanned issues within your home or business, we can provide a call-out service to rectify and solve any problems.
Our call-out services include emergency repairs, scheduled maintenance, fault finding and diagnostics, installation services, safety inspections, and emergency lighting and power solutions.
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 3001 for more information on emergency lighting systems in mixed-use buildings.
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