Emergency lighting - test for one hour or three hours?

[ringer]

Building is a church hall used for such activities as jumble sales, morning playgroup etc. I would class that as requiring emergency lighting duration of one hour. The luminaires fitted are three hour types. So should I test them for one hour, or three hours?

 

[Tillywolves]

One hour, until they are 4 years old, then the test should be for the full duration of the fitting....

You could put in a clause to the contract, that all tests will be of a 1 hour basis, and class it as a variation. As long as the customer agrees, its your --- covered.

 

[ringer]

Well these have been in place since 1989, so I would think that makes it a three hour test then. Where does the '...until they are 4 years old...' come from?

 

[accordfire]

It's three years old, not four.

It comes from BS5266, and is based on the estimated life of the Ni-Cad cells in the units.

Emergency lighting that's been in place since 1989 - has it had a battery change? I should think you're looking at a few replacements there - nearly 22 years old, the scheme may not even reach minimum standard.

 

[accordfire]

To answer the OP - essentially, a one hour test until three years old, and then rated duration as Tilly says.

So you'll be running a 3 hour test.

Even with a variation, it doesn't comply - the standard states test for rated duration, and varying it will render the system non compliant. To be fair, there's no point in putting in a three hour rated system if you're only ever going to test it for an hour, or if it gives up the ghost an hour and ten minutes into its use.

Thing is, even if your customer agrees to the one hour test, it's very, very unlikely the insurer or Fire Officer will.

And your --- isn't even covered if the customer agrees - you're the expert, not the customer, and the customer has passed on responsibility under the RRO to you at the point you agree to maintain the system. Manchester Crown Court......24 December 2010 - the case that confirms this.

The only real way round it is to issue a new design cert - i.e. having verified the design of the system meets the full requirements of BS5266, and rating it as a one hour system, with the variation being that three hour units have been fitted, although only required for one hour to meet the design requirements.

 

[ringer]

Thanks Bill. The customer does not have any design info so I have pointed out that he needs this and a log book. He has asked me to test and provide design certification, a log book and to set up testing procedures for them. Looking at BS5266 the design does appear to be up to minimum standard, I was just unsure about the duration of testing with the three-hour luminaires being in place for what in my opinion is a one-hour requirement. I take it I can replace these with one-hour units, or do I need to confirm this with the Fire Officer?

 

[accordfire]

Thanks Bill. The customer does not have any design info so I have pointed out that he needs this and a log book. He has asked me to test and provide design certification, a log book and to set up testing procedures for them. Looking at BS5266 the design does appear to be up to minimum standard, I was just unsure about the duration of testing with the three-hour luminaires being in place for what in my opinion is a one-hour requirement. I take it I can replace these with one-hour units, or do I need to confirm this with the Fire Officer?

Um......you can't produce a design cert for the existing install - only a maintenance cert - as you didn't install the system. A log book is mandatory, for coplaince with the BS, and to prove testing has been carried out (if it's filled in, of course!).

It's unlikely to comply if it was installed in 1989 - minimum lux levels have changed a fair bit since then, and it's unlikely luminaries that old will produce the required output unless they've been well maintained, and happen to be spaced correctly (most aren't). The only way you'll confirm that is by carrying out a duration test, and by use of a lux meter throughout the premises over the duration of the test - and just for clarity, the lux levels must be right at the end of the duration test, as well as at the start...

The time requirement would be confirmed by a full fire risk assessment, which I assume the church has in place? If not, it may be failing to comply in any case - and that's a prosecutable offence, more so given it's a public building.

If you're going to replace with one hour duration units, you are altering the system design, and hence WOULD become responsible for the design element of the installation too - therefore, you'd need to ensure the whole system per se, met the design requirements, including light levels, spacing, etc - you're effectively installing a replacement system at this point as it isn't like for like.

To be honest with you, all I'd commit to initially would be a test and report...with a view to probably having to install a new system meeting the requirements of both the standard and the Fire Risk Assessment - which may well be a one hour rated system, depending on the size and use of the building.

The Fire Officer covering the site may well be able to offer advice on his expectations, but will, again in all honesty, probably refer you back to the FRA in the first instance, and he'll also take an interest in what other precautions are in place - i.e. fire alarm, extinguishers, signage, etc.

 

[ringer]

Hmm - think I need to book myself on a course then before I do any more than test and provide a report. There is a training centre near me offering a 2-day course for £345+vat. Is there a 'qualification' that I should expect to receive for that, if so what is it? Can't find any info on an 'Emergency Lighting Qualification'

 

[accordfire]

Hmm - think I need to book myself on a course then before I do any more than test and provide a report. There is a training centre near me offering a 2-day course for £345+vat. Is there a 'qualification' that I should expect to receive for that, if so what is it? Can't find any info on an 'Emergency Lighting Qualification'

There isn't a formal qualification as such for emergency lighting - although all work must comply with the requirements of BS7671 too - wiring, etc.

A good basic design course is worth it - and there's a fair bit to learn too. Look out for an ICEL backed training course - the FIA offer one - but either way, it's worth having to prove competence if you ever need to. The ICEL courses are all based on the requirements of BS5266-1 which is what you need to be complaint with mostly.

ICEL is the Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting, and is the de facto reference for the subject.

If your course is ICEL backed, it should be fine.