Business-opening procedures
Emergency lighting in business premises: location and design checks
Emergency lighting is designed around the use, occupancy, escape routes and safety equipment of the premises. There is no general rule of one fitting per fixed number of square metres that guarantees compliance. Locations and performance must be checked against the actual layout.
Is every shop a public-assembly premises?
Customers entering a building do not alone determine its REBT classification. Technical instruction ITC-BT-28 classifies premises by activity and, in some cases, occupancy. That affects electrical requirements, design documentation and inspections.
The Building Code's DB-SUA can also require emergency lighting in areas and escape routes even where an REBT public-assembly category does not apply. Identify the requirements for the work, use and existing installation together, rather than selecting whichever regulation seems simpler.
Where should the lights go?
Section SUA 4 requires fittings at exit doors and where hazards or safety equipment need highlighting. It specifically addresses doors on escape routes, stairs, changes of level, changes of direction and corridor intersections. Fittings must be at least 2 m above floor level.
Safety equipment, manually operated firefighting equipment and lighting distribution boards must also receive the required illumination. A fitting above the exit does not prove that enough light reaches an extinguisher or a corridor behind shelving.
Lighting levels and operating duration
For escape routes up to 2 m wide, SUA 4 requires at least 1 lux along the centre line and 0.5 lux across the central band covering at least half the route width. At safety equipment, manual firefighting equipment and lighting distribution boards, the minimum is 5 lux. The maximum-to-minimum illuminance ratio along the escape-route centre line must not exceed 40:1.
These operating conditions must last at least one hour after supply failure. Escape lighting must achieve 50% of the required level within 5 seconds and 100% within 60 seconds. The calculation accounts for maintenance and ageing; a lumens figure on packaging does not establish the lux reaching the floor.
Example: an 80 m² shop with a stockroom
Two 80 m² premises may need different arrangements. An open room with a direct exit does not have the same escape route as a shop with a rear stockroom, corridor and step. Start with a plan showing exits, routes, obstructions, heights, the distribution board and safety equipment. Select fittings using their photometric data.
Moving partitions or tall shelving can change route illumination. A premises refurbishment should review this even where the type of retail activity remains the same.
Signs, testing and records
An exit sign identifies a direction; emergency lighting enables people to see and move safely. Both functions need addressing. Maintained and non-maintained fittings also operate differently: select the appropriate arrangement rather than assuming a light that is off during normal operation is faulty.
Checks include automatic operation on supply failure, duration, battery condition and the specified lighting performance. Record results and maintenance. Effika can assess the layout, justify the design and coordinate it with the business-activity project and relevant electrical documentation in Menorca.
Frequently asked questions
Can a torch or portable light replace it?
Not where fixed emergency lighting is required. The installation must operate automatically and meet the applicable performance requirements.
Is a CE-marked fitting enough?
No. Product conformity does not establish that the quantity, positions, duration and light distribution suit the actual premises.
Is a one-hour battery sufficient?
The required lighting levels must be sustained for the applicable duration, and any additional requirements for the use must be checked. A battery label alone does not verify that.
Regulatory basis and official sources
- Spanish Low Voltage Regulation and technical instructions — BOE
- CTE DB-SUA: emergency lighting, SUA 4 — official document
Always check the current version of the rule and the administrative procedure that applies to the specific case.