Commercial Buildings Emergency Light Inspection & Testing Services 24/7 Alberta!
Emergency lighting is a vital component of a building’s fire and life safety system. In the event of a fire, power failure, electrical emergency or other unforeseen circumstance normal lighting may not be operational and occupants may have difficulty finding safe egress routes. Properly maintained emergency lighting helps light up exits, stairways, corridors and other areas to allow people to safely exit a building.
Regular emergency lighting inspection is an essential part of creating a safe environment and fulfilling the relevant fire safety requirements in commercial properties. A professional commercial emergency light inspection will uncover failed batteries, damaged fixtures, charging problems, burned out bulbs and other deficiencies before an actual emergency occurs.
Activate Fire Safety offers emergency lighting inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, and documentation services to commercial properties in Calgary, Edmonton and surrounding Alberta communities.
What Is Emergency Lighting Inspection?
Emergency lighting inspection means the systematic examination of emergency light fixtures, exit signs, batteries, charging systems, backup power supplies and related components. The aim is to determine whether emergency lighting will work when normal power is lost.
Emergency lights are especially important as many emergencies can cut off the main power supply of a building. Without supplemental lighting, occupants may not be able to identify evacuation routes, exits, stairs, corridors and other areas necessary for safe movement.
The professional inspection helps property owners to identify deficiencies and keep emergency lighting in working condition.
Why Is Commercial Emergency Light Inspection Necessary
Commercial buildings often have many emergency lighting fixtures located throughout the building in offices, warehouses, retail stores, industrial buildings, restaurants, apartment buildings and other occupied properties. A failed unit can create a dark spot in an egress path.
Commercial emergency light inspection is the routine inspection and maintenance of emergency lighting systems.
Routine inspections can help.
Identify any emergency lighting fixtures that have failed.
Testing of batteries and backup power
Test system charge
Check for burned out bulbs
Exit signs test
Simulated power outage emergency lighting test
find broken parts
Keep inspection records
Fire safety compliance assistance
Strengthen emergency preparedness
Fire Safety Inspections Activate Fire Safety will identify emergency lighting faults and carry out repairs on site where possible.
Emergency Lighting Vs. Exit Signs – What’s The Difference?
Emergency lights and exit signs serve similar, but different purposes.
Emergency lights are designed to illuminate exit routes in the event of a failure of the normal building power. They can help occupants see hallways, stairs, pathways and other areas in an emergency.
Exit signs show occupants the direction to leave a building.
Each system could have an important role in an effective emergency evacuation plan. Fire Safety tests and services emergency lighting and exit signs as part of the inspection process.
What is a Fire Alarm Inspection?
A professional inspection can be a range of different checks designed to test the condition and performance of the emergency lighting system.
Depending on the building and its requirements, different inspections may be required at different intervals.
Many municipalities require emergency lighting to be inspected monthly, and more thorough inspections annually, says Activate Fire Safety. The company also says that monthly functional checks can be carried out in-house while annual full-duration testing needs certified professionals as per the requirements detailed on its service page.
Property owners should check with the appropriate authority and a qualified fire safety professional for the exact inspection schedule of their building.
Battery & Charging System Diagnosis
Emergency lighting systems include backup batteries and charging systems. If the battery has lost enough capacity , the emergency light may not come on when the power fails .
Testing the batteries and checking the charging system may be part of an inspection to determine whether the backup power system is working properly.
Burned out bulbs, damaged housings, loose components or other physical problems can affect the performance of emergency lighting.
Professional technicians can inspect the fixtures and replace any faulty bulbs or other parts as necessary.
Simulating a power outage
Emergency lighting can be tested to see if the lights will come on in the event of a power failure . This is done under simulated conditions of power failure .
Activate Fire Safety’s emergency lighting inspection schedule also includes fire drills and power outage simulations to help test the performance of the emergency lights in real emergency situations.
How Often Should You Test Emergency Lights?
How often you need to inspect depends on your building, what codes apply to your building, your local requirements and what kind of emergency lighting system you have installed.
An emergency lighting testing company based in Alberta, Fire Safety, said emergency lighting has to be fully tested for 90 minutes once a year by a certified professional but can be checked monthly in-house for 30 seconds.
Requirements may vary, and building owners and facility managers should check their own specific requirements with qualified professionals and their own local authority having jurisdiction.
It is important that they are tested regularly as emergency lights may not be used for long periods of time. However, a system can be perfectly normal in day to day use and yet have a weak battery, failed charging circuit, or some other hidden deficiency.
Emergency Lighting Common Problems
There are a number of factors that can impact on emergency lighting performance.
Typical deficiencies are:
Battery low or dead
Dead bulbs.
Bad charging circuits
Broken emergency light housings.
Power supplies failed.
Broken exit signs
Poorly placed fixture
Wiring or parts damaged
Emergency lighting equipment aging
Catching these problems early allows owners to make arrangements to have these problems corrected before an emergency arises.
Advantages of Professional Emergency Lighting Maintenance
1. Improved Emergency Readiness
Emergency lighting in good condition helps persons occupying a building to find their way in the event of normal lighting failure.
2. Early detection of deficiency
Routine checks can uncover problems before they become safety hazards.
3. Improved Documentation
Detailed inspection reports give building owners test results, deficiencies, repairs and system status. Fire Safety Digitally reports inspection results and work completed.
You don’t always need to make a separate repair appointment for emergency lighting problems. The Fire Safety inspection trucks are equipped with spare bulbs, batteries, battery packs, charging circuits and complete emergency light units so that many deficiencies can be rectified on the spot.
5. Fire Safety Compliance Assistance
Retention of inspection and testing records can assist the property owner in providing evidence that emergency lighting is being properly maintained if documentation is required by authorities or other stakeholders.
Commercial Building Emergency Lighting Inspection
Commercial buildings have different layouts, number of occupants and evacuation needs. Offices are likely to have long corridors and multiple floors while warehouses might have large open areas, storage spaces and high ceilings. Emergency lights and exit signs may also be required in retail stores, restaurants, industrial facilities and multi-unit buildings.
During a professional commercial emergency light inspection, you should check the building’s emergency lighting equipment, evacuation routes, backup power systems and applicable requirements.
Facility managers should also ensure that occupants are familiar with basic procedures for power failure and know the location of emergency and exit lighting.
Calgary & Edmonton emergency light test
Fire Safety Activation Fire Safety provides emergency lighting inspection, testing, repair and maintenance services throughout the City of Calgary & Edmonton Metro area. It serves the Edmonton area from locations including St. Albert, Sherwood Park and Leduc.
The company conducts on-site inspections and provides digital documentation and technicians are trained to address many common emergency lighting deficiencies during the inspection visit.
Utilizing a qualified fire safety provider makes it easy for commercial property owners and facility managers to schedule inspection, maintenance, repairs and recordkeeping.
Preparing for an Emergency Lighting Inspection
Building owners and facility managers can make inspection easier by:
All emergency light fittings available to technicians
Maintain access to electrical and mechanical areas.
Keeping record of inspections done earlier
Recognize known lighting problems
Informing occupants about planned testing
Keep exit clear
Review emergency evacuation procedures
Elimination of previously identified deficiencies
“Good preparation allows the technicians to make a thorough inspection and not miss a detail.
Commercial Emergency Lighting Report
Emergency lighting isn’t just another building maintenance item. It may be an important part of the evacuation process in case of power failure or fire emergency.
Regular inspection of emergency lighting systems can help identify battery failure, charging problems, burned out bulbs, damaged fixtures and other deficiencies . Professional commercial emergency light inspection also provides property owners with helpful documentation and helps them to maintain their emergency lighting systems.
Commercial Property Emergency Lighting Inspection, Testing, Maintenance, Repair & Digital Reporting Activate Fire Safety has been serving Calgary, Edmonton and Communities throughout Alberta with commercial property emergency lighting inspection, testing, maintenance, repair and digital reporting services.
If you count on emergency lighting to evacuate your commercial property safely, schedule regular inspection and testing to help ensure the system is ready when you need it most.
1. What is emergency lighting inspection?
An emergency lighting inspection tests emergency lights, exit signs, batteries, charging systems, backup power supplies and related equipment to see if they are working properly in a power failure.
2. How often should emergency lights be tested?
The frequency of inspection you have to perform is based on the regulations that apply to you and the requirements of your local rules. “Emergency lighting is tested monthly to ensure that it is working and is tested in detail annually by certified professionals, including testing for the full duration annually,” Activate Fire Safety says of the Alberta requirements.
3. If an emergency light fails inspection what happens?
If an emergency light is not working, repair or replace as necessary. Typical problems include dead batteries, blown bulbs, charging circuit problems and broken fixtures. “Many of the common deficiencies can be repaired on-site during the inspection,” says Activate Fire Safety.
4. Does emergency lighting inspection cover exit signs?
Yes. Both emergency lighting and exit signs can be tested during an inspection. Emergency lights light paths of egress . Exit signs show where the exits are .