Emergency Exit Lighting

No one wants anything bad to happen at a restaurant, but the reality is that real emergencies occur every day.

It is easy to imagine any one of a hundred dangerous scenarios occurring in your restaurant which may result in your staff and guests having to exit the building during a power failure.

Would they be able to find their way out quickly and safely, or would they be become trapped inside due to poor emergency lighting and unlit exit signs?

Is your restaurant prepared in the case of a power outage? Sadly, if your business is like others across the county, the answer is no.

Despite strict requirements for egress lighting, there are too many restaurants which continue to fail to meet the bare minimum necessary in order to pass an inspection.

Still, fewer food service businesses have emergency lighting which exceeds national requirements. This can mean the difference whether or not everyone is able to exit safely.

What Are the Requirements for Emergency Lighting?

There are a number of organizations and agencies in the US which set mandatory minimum requirements for emergency and egress lighting including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

In addition to complying with multiple national minimums, a restaurant needs to following the lighting requirements for its local municipality. Therefore, it is important for restaurant owners to be aware of both local and national requirements to avoid facing legal issues.

The OSHA requirements for marketing and lighting exit routes are found under the section 1910.37(b). Basically, all businesses need to:

Make sure all exits and ways out of the premises are clearly marked and visible at all times.
All non-exits along a clear exit route must have a sign stating that it is not an exit or have a sign indicating where it leads.
Every exit sign has to be illuminated to a surface value of at least five foot-candles or 54 lux and must be distinctive. Self-luminous or electroluminescent signs of at least .06-foot-lamberts are acceptable.
Each exit sign must have the word “Exit” in plainly legible letters not less than six inches high, with the principal strokes of the letters in the word “Exit” not less than 3/4- inch wide.

NFPA’s requirements for emergency lighting are discussed under section 7.9 in the Life Safety Code. Among other requirements, restaurants must have:

Emergency lighting which is capable of maintaining at least 90 minutes of continuous light during an interruption of normal power.
Exit routes lit to an average of 10.8 lux and a minimum of 1.1 lux during a loss of the general power. The best-lit area along an exit route cannot be more than 40 times brighter than the dimmest area.
Automatic emergency lighting in case of a power failure.

Safety is Not Something to Play Around With

Are you still confused about what your restaurant needs to do to meet and exceed all the various emergency lighting requirements in your area? Don’t worry, you are not alone. We are Firetex, LLC, and we are here to help you.

Our company is different.

We have years of experience dealing with national and local emergency lighting regulations from a variety of organizations. We know what it takes to keep your employees and guests as safe as possible during any power outage.

Our company can handle all of your emergency lighting needs from helping you to identify your needs, to designing and installing a system which will allow you to pass inspection.

All of our technicians are licensed, certified, insured and are experts at installing and testing emergency lighting systems. We even offer warranties on all of our work for your peace of mind.

Remember, at the end of the day, the safety of everyone in your restaurant is in your hands. Keep people as safe as possible by making sure you have adequate lighting during an emergency.