Electrical Testing by Southern Testing.
Emergency Lighting Testing
Commercial premises electrical testing
The Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL) was originally formed in the UK in 1978 by the Emergency Lighting sections of the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers Association (BEAMA) and the Lighting Industry Federation (LIF). It was formed as an industry committee to respond to a demand for national standards for Emergency Lighting equipment and is now an independent division of the LIF.
Since its inception, ICEL has been publishing guidance documents and standards for Emergency Lighting Products and Installations to ensure the best practices available are employed. ICEL continues to provide expert advice and guidance to all specifiers and users on the requirements for Emergency Lighting.
Formed with an independent regulatory committee of representatives from government departments, public authorities and larger end users, ICEL exists to help and guide users, specifiers and contractors in all matters which touch upon the Emergency Lighting Industry world-wide. ICEL has become the foremost UK authority on Emergency Lighting and its representatives serve on BSI committees and represent UK interests within European Committees dealing with Emergency Lighting.
The guides and standards published by ICEL since 1978 are well known and respected world-wide and form the basis of many National Standards prior to the harmonisation of European Standards.
ICEL is the leading UK authority on Emergency Lighting and is also probably the most experienced authority on the subject in Europe.
1 The Need to Carry Out and Document Risk Assessments
The implementation of the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 in the UK as detailed in the Employers guide to Fire & Safety 1999 will lead to the requirement to carry out risk assessments of all premises. Emergency lighting is one of the life safety systems required to be provided, where necessary, in premises where people are employed. The requirement for emergency lighting, its type and location all being defined through the risk assessment.
Owners or occupiers of all premises in which people are employed must carry out fire precautions risk assessments even when the premises have a current fire
certificate or are currently being assessed for a fire certificate.
For premises in which 5 or more persons are employed there is a legal requirement to document significant findings of the risk assessment together with details of the measures taken to deal with risks identified. If less than 5 persons are employed, there is still a requirement to carry out a risk assessment, although it may not need to be formally recorded.
All staff, or their representatives must be told of risk assessment findings and, if documented, staff must be able to see the report upon request.
June 2000