An emergency luminaire is the technical term for an emergency light which is designed to illuminate escape areas in a mains power failure. It includes the lamp or lamps, plus all fixings, and connective and protective elements.
Any emergency light described as "maintained" or "switchable" on our website would meet these requirements, working as an ordinary light on mains power capable of connecting to a standard light switch while also activating from a battery when mains power fails – regardless of whether they are currently turned on or off at the light switch. We also have a range of designer emergency lights for units which suit more modern interiors such as offices and homes.
Please note that "non-maintained" emergency lights cannot operate as "maintained" lights and will only provide illumination during a mains power failure, and "slave" or "central battery" lights do not contain their own battery and must be connected to a large central battery system in order to provide emergency illumination. Click here for an overview of different types of emergency light operation.
A maintained emergency light is always on and will stay illuminated in the event of a power failure. These lights are usually installed in communal areas such as corridors and stair wells.
A non-maintained emergency light only comes on in the event of a power failure. These lights will usually be installed in areas that don't need a permanent light source.
Yes, if you have a maintained emergency light fitting, it is possible to install the unit as non-maintained. During installation, the "link wire" would need to be removed. We strongly recommend that emergency lights are installed by an electrician.
Emergency lights should be installed by a qualified electrician and can usually be either ceiling or wall mounted.
The lights are connected to the buildings mains power circuits which keeps the backup battery charged. In the event of a power failure the emergency light will continue to operate under the power of the back-up battery.
Emergency lights are usually installed with a test switch (fish key switch) on their circuit which allows them to be tested by interrupting the mains power supply to the lights only.
IP ratings are used as a measure of how well electrical equipment, such as an emergency light or fire exit sign, can resist dust particles and water.
IP stands for "ingress protection", and the two digits indicate the following:
With 0 meaning no protection and 6 being the highest level of protection.
| Digit | Intrusion protection | Moisture protection |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection | No protection |
| 1 | Protected against solid objects over 50mm in diameter (e.g. hands) | Protected against falling drops of moisture (e.g. condensation) |
| 2 | Protected against solid objects over 12mm diameter, not exceeding 80mm long (e.g. fingers) | Protected against sprayed water at up to 15° from the vertical |
| 3 | Protected against solid objects over 2.5 mm (e.g. tools) | Protected against sprayed water at up to 60° from the vertical |
| 4 | Protects against solid objects over 1.0mm (e.g. small wires, screws, nails, insects) | Protected against water splashes from all directions |
| 5 | Partial protection against dust that may harm equipment | Protected against low pressure jets, from all directions - limited ingress allowed |
| 6 | Dust tight - totally protected against dust | Protected against strong jets of water |
For example, if an emergency light or fire exit sign is rated IP54, it is protected against dust and water sprayed from any direction.
Reviewed: 01/02/2023 (doc:540 V1.0). Our articles are reviewed regularly. However, any changes made to standards or legislation following the review date will not have been considered. Please note that we provide abridged, easy-to-understand guidance. To make detailed decisions about your fire safety provisions, you might require further advice or need to consult the full standards and legislation.
