What to do if there is a power cut in your building
As the rain and wind sets in and it starts to look and feel a bit more like the winter, it’s a good time to know what to do if the power goes out in your building.
While we all know experiencing a power outage during a busy work day can be a major inconvenience, yours and your colleagues safety should be top priority when the lights go out. Many office buildings have limited natural light, so will be in complete darkness when the emergency lighting switches off – especially if it’s grey outside.
Emergency lighting is only designed to work for as long as it takes to evacuate the building, not long enough for the power to come back on. So, if the lights go out and the emergency lighting kicks in, it’s time to get out.
It is a legal stipulation as part of the Building Act that buildings provide adequate lighting within all escape routes with an illuminance of 1 lux minimum at floor level for a period equal to 1.5 times the evacuation time, or thirty minutes, whichever is greatest. There must also be emergency signage to clearly show escape routes.
Having adequate emergency lighting installed is the first step – ensuring proper emergency lighting maintenance is crucial to its effectiveness in a power outage. It is also a legal requirement to regularly test your emergency lighting to ensure it meets the standards AS 2293 and NZS 6104 and NZS6742.
These regulations have been designed with safety and wellbeing of people in mind. Sticking to the rules and ensuring you are always covered should the unexpected happen, doesn’t need to be a cumbersome task. With our regular maintenance plans, we will have a dedicated electrician out to your building at regular intervals throughout the year, based on your compliance schedule. Giving you peace of mind that all your emergency lighting is inspected and maintained to comply with your annual Building Warrant of Fitness. We can also help you with repairs and new installations.
Want to put your emergency lighting in expert hands? Contact PASLR today.