Emergency or path of egress lighting is designed to provide an illuminated path from any area in a structure to a designated area outside the structure during a partial or total loss of utility power. There are several methods of designing an emergency lighting system: separate utility feed, generator, AC inverters and individual unit equipment. Each system has its own shortcomings and advantages.
The separate feed, generator, and AC inverter all utilize existing lighting fixtures, and to be effective in any particular area of a structure, require a zone control relay system to switch to emergency operation mode during partial loss of utility power.
Disadvantages of these systems are:
• Fixtures that are part of this system must be checked regularly to be sure the lamps
are operational, as these systems have no back up; and
. • If the system fails to operate, the entire structure is in darkness. The advantage of the separate feed, generator and AC inverter systems is:
. • There is only a single system to maintain;
. • No additional fixtures need to be purchased; and
. • The generator and separate feed system are not dependent on batteries to provide emergency power.

Individual Unit Equipment
The individual unit equipment system includes a series of small self-contained lighting units that operate independently of each other. The advantages of this system are:
• If one or two of the individual units fail, the path of egress will not be totally dark as each lighting unit operates independently; and
• The fixtures are dedicated emergency lighting so lamp burnout is rare during the building life since they are not used for other purposes. The two major disadvantages to this type
of equipment are:
. • The equipment has a relatively large footprint and is intrusive on the appearance of the building’s interior; and
. • Emergency Lighting is prone to vandalism, especially in public spaces. Lamps can be knocked off the units, entire units can be torn off the walls or ceilings and batteries can be removed from units as replacement for dead batteries on other equipment.

Concealite Life Safety Products offers an emergency lighting system that has the advantages of an independent lighting system without the disadvantages. The 5000 Series emergency lighting is designed to be recessed in a wall or ceiling with the door and frame flush to the wall or ceiling. When power outages occur, the unit door rotates 180 degrees exposing two MR-16 lamps.

When utility power is restored, the lamps turn back into the wall or ceiling. In order to be unobtrusive, the 5000 Series’ door and frame can be painted, wallpapered, or appliquéd to match the wall or ceiling where it is being installed making the unit during normal operation, virtually invisible.

Concealite can fabricate doors and frames in special shapes, colors, materials and finishes with no minimum quantities required.

The 5000 Series is inherently vandal proof as it is difficult to vandalize what you cannot see. Since the 5000 Series lamps, during normal utility power, are hidden in the wall or ceiling, the 5000 Series is the perfect solution for public spaces where vandalism of emergency lights has been an ongoing challenge.

As with all emergency and safety equipment, regular testing is important and in most cases a requirement. Concealite has tried to make testing as painless as possible. The 5000 Series is available with a variety of testing options depending on your situation and preferences.

. • The standard option utilizes a manual test switch accessible through a small hole in the frame to prevent nuisance testing. The option requires scheduled activation by an individual to ensure the unit is operating properly.
. • The self-diagnostic system (SD) will continuously monitor the major components of the unit and automatically test the unit on a monthly basis. If a problem is found, the unit’s LED will alert maintenance with a flash pattern that the unit needs to be examined.
. • The infra-red testing system allows maintenance to initiate a self-test from the floor by pointing an infra-red light at the sensor on the unit. This allows the unit to be tested without the burden and disruption of ladders or scaffolding.

Concealite also offers a remote version of the 5000 Series that can be configured to run off of any power source, the Chameleon. The Chameleon can be installed to operate with DC power, an inverter system or a generator. This allows facility managers to retrofit Concealite units into an existing egress system and benefit from the advantages without completely changing their entire system.

For wet locations inside or out, Concealite offers the HWL version of the 5000 Series. This unit can be installed on the exterior of a structure to complete the code required path of egress. It can also be utilized in factories or facilities where frequent wash downs are a challenge to providing safe and dependable egress lighting. Emergency lighting is one area that gains little attention until it is needed or it is damaged. The more trouble-free and straightforward the system can be, the easier it is for the maintenance department to ensure its proper operation. FSM
John Polglase is with Concealite Life Safety Products