What is an emergency pack?
An emergency pack is designed to provide lighting even when mains power is lost, ensuring safe evacuation in the event of emergencies such as fires, which can cause power cuts. These packs include a controller, an additional LED, and a rechargeable battery pack, providing emergency illumination for up to 3 hours. We use high-quality components that comply with current emergency lighting legislation and CE standards, ensuring reliability and safety when it matters most.
The Regulations
Under the UK Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) of 2006, those responsible for non-domestic premises or common areas in Houses of Multiple Occupancy (e.g., landlords or facilities managers) must ensure the safety of everyone in the building. This includes providing adequate emergency lighting. According to Article 14 (2)(h) of the RRFSO:
"Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting."
It is especially important to ensure staircases and escape routes are well-lit, as people may be in distress or panic during a fire, particularly when awoken abruptly at night.
Important Safety Note
If using a GLS (E27) light source with an emergency pack, ensure you use an LED E27 lamp (not an incandescent/filament/halogen lamp). Traditional filament incandescent bulbs can become excessively hot and may overheat the emergency pack components.
Additionally, after testing or activating the emergency mode, the permanent live connection must be renewed within 24 hours to prevent over-discharge, which can permanently damage the battery pack. Be aware that high ambient temperatures (over 35°C) can reduce the battery's duration.
High ambient temperatures may cause emergency packs to fail. For this reason, the following precautions must be taken where ambient temperatures may exceed 35°C:
- Avoid using top diffusers with fittings containing emergency packs (lower diffusers are not an issue). Top diffusers are not included as standard but are available separately. Using a top diffuser restricts airflow and can increase the internal temperature of the fitting.
- Where 24/7 illumination is required, use only with our corridor function add-on packs. These automatically reduce illumination to 50% when no human presence is detected, reducing heat output within the fitting while also saving energy and cost.
- Where illumination is required only when human presence is detected, use our proximity sensor packs. These automatically switch the fitting off when no presence is detected, further reducing heat output, energy use and running costs.
Click here for more information on using Proximity and corridor function sensors.
If temperature limits are exceeded, the emergency pack may enter a temperature fault mode to protect the battery from overheating. A service visit may then be required to restore normal operation.
All emergency packs come with a 1-year warranty on battery packs and a 2-year warranty on inverters and other components, ensuring long-lasting reliability.