Micky Mouse Exit Lights

Combo Emergency Exit Lights
LED Bug Eyes - Emergency Exit Lights
Egress Lighting
Emergency Egress or Exit Lighting
There is a special kind of lighting fixture that is designed to provide lighting in the event of a power failure.: Emergency or Egress lighting. To start, let’s first look at the word Egress:
e·gress  [ˈēˌɡres] NOUN: definition: the action of going out of or leaving a place. Synonyms: departure · leaving · exit · withdrawal · retreat · pullout · escape. ORIGIN: mid 16th century: from Latin, from ex- ‘out’ + gradi ‘to step’
Emergency lighting illuminates hallways, stairwells and exits for the safe evacuation from a building. Emergency lighting is frequently a requirement in commercial, industrial, educational, religious, institutional, public housing and medical facilities. The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code has regulations specific to emergency lighting, that cover minimum lighting and testing requirements. The local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ – covered in Journals #5 & 6) can answer emergency lighting compliance questions related to a specific location.
All Emergency Lights have a Battery Backup:
Regardless of fixture design, all Emergency Lights have a Battery as a backup power supply. During daily usage, Emergency Lighting fixtures have a battery that is kept charged by normal building power. But in the event of a power outage, the battery is switched on so that the fixture can operate without power from the building.

Names can be confusing:
Some light fixtures use the same LED’s when the Battery Backup is turned on, and other fixtures have a second set of LED’s that are only used when the Battery is switched on. This second set of LED’s has created a series of slang descriptions that can become confusing names to those unfamiliar with global and regional terminology. Asia uses Mickey Mouse lights , and North America most commonly uses Bug Eyes
Click NFPA Logo for References.
Basic Requirements of Emergency Lights:
Within the Life Safety Code, the NFPA’s requirements for emergency lighting are referenced under section 7.9. Emergency illumination (when required) must be provided for a minimum of 1.5-hours in the event of failure of normal lighting. The emergency lighting must be arranged to provide initial illumination of not less than an average of one foot-candle and a minimum at any point of 0.1-foot-candle measured along the path of egress at floor level. And the emergency lighting system must be arranged to provide illumination automatically in the event of any interruption of normal lighting (section 7.9.2.3).
Testing Requirements for Emergency Lights:
The Fire Code requires that the emergency lights or exit signs be inspected and tested at least once a month. The test must include a thirty-second test of the lights. An annual test is also required, with the lights being operated on emergency power for the full minimum of ninety minutes. Written records documenting the testing must be maintained and available for review by the Fire Marshall.
How to Test Emergency Lights:
Most emergency lights or exit signs have a small “push to test” button somewhere on the casing. You can push and hold this button for thirty seconds to test the bulbs and battery. The lights should come on and remain at the same brightness level for the full thirty seconds. If the lights start to dim right away, then you should have an electrician check the battery.
Why test for thirty seconds?
Many defective batteries will maintain just enough charge to light up the LED’s for a few seconds, but then fade quickly. If you don’t test for thirty seconds you may find that your Emergency Lights go out in just a few seconds when you really need them.
Annual Testing:
 For a large number of devices for the ninety-minute test that is required each year, locate the circuit breaker or fuse that supplies power to the emergency lights or exit signs. (You may need to contact an electrician if they are not properly labeled.) The circuit breaker should be turned off, and the lights observed to determine if they work for the ninety-minute (annual) or thirty-second (monthly) testing period.
Bill Nagengast, Lighting Engineer
Solas Ray Lighting
Holds over 20 patents in the lighting industry.
To Opt Out and No Longer Receive this Information, Click Unsubscribe at Bottom.
TJ-43 9.20.18