Emergency lighting

[RGermain]

I am working to upgrade the safety systems in our theater and our emergency lighting needs some upgrading. Any recommendations on emergency backups?

[SteveB]

Originally Posted by RGermain

I am working to upgrade the safety systems in our theater and our emergency lighting needs some upgrading. Any recommendations on emergency backups?

1) More information is needed about:
- Type of theater - Gymnatorium ?, dedicated theater ?, etc...
- Is there an existing generator for the building ?
- What's there now ?.

In general, all the requirements for emergency lighting is covered under the National Electrical Codes, specifically section 520 for theaters. There may well be local codes that adopt and/or super-cede the Nat'l code that you need to be aware of, and you might find it useful if you became very educated on the issue, including buying a copy of the Nat'l Electrical Code and studying it as if it were an entrance exam for college.

Bottom line though is you really, really need either/both an theatrical consultant to guide you here, or a electrical engineer conversant with both the specific requirements for theaters as well as the local code. I cannot stress enough how important it is to get the life-safety issues correct, and (again) in general, the typical theater tech. is NOT the person who can advise on these issues, for a lot of legal reasons.

So. The upgrades can range from something as simple as a lot of additional battery pack flood lights, to an entire generator powered transfer system for all the audience area lighting as well as all the backstage and lobby area's that need egress lighting, including putting in battery powered fluorescent hallway fixtures, or running them off a geni, etc....

In my renovation 2 years ago, with as much as I thought as I knew, it ultimately became the responsibility of the architect and the EE to LEGALLY sign off on the plans that involved code compliance issues. There is no getting around this. No local authority is going to approve changes not created by a licensed EE and/or architect and without these you are dead in the water.

SB

[Chris15]

From what I've picked up on here, you people over in the US have fire chiefs that have the power to make binding decisions on life safety. Emergency lighting falls under life safety, so you would be well advised to follow it up with your fire chief.

Given it is life safety, there are a number of liability issues which would arise. If you make mistakes here it really could cost lives and render you negligent. My advice would be to find a qualified electrician.

Now if this is in a school and from what I gather you are a student, then I would just forget about it right now. This is something that your school needs to have done properly for reasons of liability, duty of care, etc. It really defeats the purpose of an emergency safety system if it is improperly designed installed and maintained. You don't want to be the one held negligent and have to face criminal / civil action now do you?

Play it safe and get someone who knows what they are doing to look at this one for you.

[SteveB]

[quote=Chris15]From what I've picked up on here, you people over in the US have fire chiefs that have the power to make binding decisions on life safety. Emergency lighting falls under life safety, so you would be well advised to

Actually, in most juristictions, it's the building department (village-town-city-county) that issues permits and enforces code issues. The local fire departments SOMETIMES have inspection/enforcment duties, but if a building is in an area serviced by a volunteer department, the inspection and enforcement may not always be the VFD. New York City is a typical location where the NYFD has inspection and enforcment duties, but only after the fact. They do not get involved in the planning and construction phases and even after construction is completed, it's the building department that issues the certificates of occupancy. The FD then only inspects and enforces certain aspects of the building, usually related to egress lighting, alarm and annuciator systems, etc... As example, the NYFD does not keep up with whether our generators are checked monthly, as per code.

SB

[Chris15]

Originally Posted by SteveB

The FD then only inspects and enforces certain aspects of the building, usually related to egress lighting...

Down here emergency lighting and egress lighting are one and the same. Are they not in the US? Regardless, there will be some government department who, if they are feeling petty enough can fail the emergency lighting and consequently shut the theatre down. Have I heard something about electrical inspectors in the past? If so, they might be ones who might have an opinion on this.

I maintain that it is not something that school students should be doing, and that the school or venue management should be engaging a competent professional to do this work.

Edit: Also, isn't there a big deal about UL listings in the states? I suspect that in order to maintain those ratings that they need to be installed by a competent person.

[CowboyDan]

Are you thinking of doing it yourself or are you just looking for recommdations?

[ship]

Agreed with the above, planning, installation and testing of emergency and egress lighting must be done by those licenced and trained to do so. You could recommend stuff like LED systems which might stay on longer or be more efficient but from the yearly testing of if they work or not to the planning and installation, not something other than the school administration and it's contractors should be worrying about.

Lots of rules and power transfer concepts that get expensive and complex in addition to alternatives such as seperate means of power which might qualifiy in some cases as emergency.

[Pie4Weebl]

Originally Posted by CowboyDan

Are you thinking of doing it yourself or are you just looking for recommdations?

I think he is looking for reconmendations, just like every other purchasing thread in this board. Whenever I see I thread that is a you shouldn't do this at home sort of deal I think people are just askign whether brand A or B products are better. But everyone always takes that elitist tone and goes on about how they shouldn't be doing it, and ignores the actual point of the thread.

[Chris15]

Originally Posted by Pie4Weebl

I think he is looking for reconmendations, just like every other purchasing thread in this board. Whenever I see I thread that is a you shouldn't do this at home sort of deal I think people are just askign whether brand A or B products are better. But everyone always takes that elitist tone and goes on about how they shouldn't be doing it, and ignores the actual point of the thread.

Might I quote the original post

I am working to upgrade the safety systems...

Now to me, that sounds like they are planning to do it themselves. Also, whilst you might read the post as being recommendations, not everyone else does. I read it as though they had the intention of doing the work and so that governed my response. Where something like this comes up and it is ambiguous, then there is a need to ensure the safety of all, and so we tend to chime in and say that doing this yourself is not a good idea. Now I know when I say don't do it yourself, I don't intend to kill off the thread, rather I need to impress upon anyone reading the thread that do it wrong and you could be in a very unpleasant situation.

Could you please explain why you think that putting safety first is, as you term it, taking an elitist tone / approach?

[Foxinabox10]

I think what Pie4Weebl is trying to say is that maybe approaching the poster by asking him if he was planning on doing it himself and suggesting reasons why he shouldn't rather than lecturing him on how it's a stupid decision to do the work himself...he may have never planned to do it.

I know that I have been working for three years to get an upgraded booth and equipment in our school and when I asked what people would want in a booth, I didn't get people jumping down my throat saying that I shouldn't be doing it myself and the electrical work should be left to an electrician, etc.

I think we all just need to calm down a little bit with our tone as to not belittle people.