Emergency guidance and lighting systems in extraordinary situations; are the systems that guide the evacuation of people as a result of the power outage of the building for safety concerns during disasters, such as fire and earthquakes.
In addition, in Turkey, emergency lighting systems are obligatory in the regulations for the protection of buildings from fire. Emergency guidance systems are also mandatory in buildings. These directions facilitate the evacuation of people in buildings with more than one exit.
- Where are the emergency guidance and lighting system usage areas?
Emergency guidance and lighting systems are used in all escape routes of people during a fire, in places used for assembly, in escalators and elevators, in laboratories, in rooms where generators and electricity distribution are made, in fire pump stations, in parking garages, in places where first aid and safety equipment are located, fire warning buttons and it is mandatory to use in sections where fire cabinets are located.
Organizations that prefer emergency guidance and lighting systems:
- Small, medium, or large-sized workplaces,
- Schools, universities, study centers, dormitories,
- All tourist accommodations such as hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, camping areas, etc.,
- Shopping centers, markets, and clothing stores,
- All social activity centers such as cafes and restaurants,
- Buildings of public institutions and organizations,
- Fair, congress, symposium, or meeting rooms and areas.
How should emergency guidance and lighting fixtures be positioned according to the regulation?
- Direction signs should be placed at 200-240 cm above the ground.
- Emergency lighting systems must stay activated for at least 60 minutes in case of interruption of normal lighting.
- The emergency operating duration must be at least 120 minutes when the user load is more than 200.
- The maximum visibility distance of the directional signs should be equal to 100 times the sign size height for direction signs illuminated from the outside or from the side, and 200 times the sign size height for emergency direction units with signs illuminated from inside and behind, so that they can be seen from every point, and the height of the sign cannot be less than 15 cm.
- Signs for emergency guidance systems must be visible from all access points on the escape route in both normal lighting and emergency lighting situations. The illuminated emergency direction signs must be at least 2 cd/m² in all visible directions and have a contrast ratio of at least 0.5.
