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Emergency Escape Route Lighting.

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Subject: Emergency light over spiral stairs.


A first floor flat has an external spiral steel stairway from the ground to the entrance door. The door opens onto a small platform at the top of the spiral stairway. The flat is to be let.


Would you install an emergency escape light over the door at high level, or half way down from the top of the door to one side of the door, say at eye level,  or at a low level just above the platform. The third option also benefits another escape route from the main house at ground level and illuminates the spiral stairs somewhat.


Note. The sides of the spiral stairs are open except for well spaced spindles. Light can get through the sides.


Z.
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  • 0
    kfh:

    Having just read lots of guidance on emergency lighting and forgotten most of it. I would go for more lower brightness lights that will provide the required levels of illumination on each step rather than fewer bright ones. A bright one high up may cast a lot of shadows and may cause some people to be temporarily blinded if they have to look at a bright light which may occur if they are on steps.


    One expert advised me not to bother about design just make sure everywhere is well lit with the emergency lights, quite how you do that without some design I was not sure. Another expert designed the lighting for me using Relux, I felt the levels in some areas were a bit low at just the legal minimum so  I put in a couple of extra lights as it added little to the overall cost and ensured legal minimums were exceeded. 


    A  big problem that I encounter is the customer who advises the position  of emergency lights but that position is not the best one for effective illumination in the dark. Perhaps his wife has said, "Oh John it does not look good there." They fail to see the reason for the light and its position. Sometimes they see my point of view, sometimes not.


    Z.


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  • 0
    kfh:

    Having just read lots of guidance on emergency lighting and forgotten most of it. I would go for more lower brightness lights that will provide the required levels of illumination on each step rather than fewer bright ones. A bright one high up may cast a lot of shadows and may cause some people to be temporarily blinded if they have to look at a bright light which may occur if they are on steps.


    One expert advised me not to bother about design just make sure everywhere is well lit with the emergency lights, quite how you do that without some design I was not sure. Another expert designed the lighting for me using Relux, I felt the levels in some areas were a bit low at just the legal minimum so  I put in a couple of extra lights as it added little to the overall cost and ensured legal minimums were exceeded. 


    A  big problem that I encounter is the customer who advises the position  of emergency lights but that position is not the best one for effective illumination in the dark. Perhaps his wife has said, "Oh John it does not look good there." They fail to see the reason for the light and its position. Sometimes they see my point of view, sometimes not.


    Z.


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