How important is exit and emergency lighting?

Short answer: It’s essential. Exit and emergency lighting protect people when power fails, smoke lowers visibility, or nerves kick in during an evacuation. In Australia, safety depends on clear exit light signage and reliable battery-backed luminaires that keep escape routes visible for the full evacuation period.

Australian construction code for emergency lighting

Australia’s National Construction Code sets the obligation to illuminate travel paths so occupants can find exits quickly. The AS/NZS 2293 series then spells out the details – design, installation, and routine maintenance. In practice, that means two things on site: exit signs that guide people to doors and emergency luminaires that keep corridors, stairs and final exits bright enough to move with confidence. When installed and tested correctly, evacuations are faster, calmer and safer.

Should emergency exit lights be on all the time?

Here’s the straight answer most building managers need:

• Exit signs are usually maintained. They stay illuminated all the time, so the path out is recognisable in normal conditions and during an emergency. 
• Emergency luminaires are usually non-maintained. They activate when the mains supply drops and run on internal batteries for the required duration. 

That combination answers the two biggest occupant needs: ‘Where’s the door?’ and ‘Can I see enough to walk there safely?’

How do emergency exit lights work, and how are they serviced?

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The electronics are simple and robust. A sensing circuit monitors the mains supply; if it drops, a relay switches to the battery so LEDs keep running. Modern fittings use efficient drivers that balance brightness and battery life, so you get steady light for the full test period rather than a rapid fade.

Why it matters to people in your building

Picture a winter evening when the offices are still busy. A breaker trips. The open-plan floor is suddenly dim, and the glass at the end of the corridor looks like a solid wall. Exit signs glow in the distance and make the route obvious. Emergency luminaires lift the light on the stair treads and landing handrails. People stop hesitating, stop bunching at doorways, and move steadily towards fresh air. That control under pressure is the real outcome you’re buying with compliant exit and emergency lighting.

Compliance in plain English

1. Design and placement
   Map every path of travel, corridors, corners, doors to the outside, and position fittings so the viewing distance matches the sign classification. Check ceiling heights and corridor widths since both affect spacing. The goal is uniform light that reveals changes of direction and obstacles. 
2. Installation details
   Keep exit signs visible from common approaches, not hidden behind door swings or bulkheads. Use directional arrows that match the actual route. Label circuits clearly so tests and fault finding don’t disrupt critical areas. 
3. Routine testing
   Conduct a 90-minute discharge test at least every six months. Replace failed batteries and LED boards promptly. Update the logbook with dates, results and rectification work. Insurers and auditors look for clean records as much as working fittings. 
4. Documentation and training
   Keep the lighting logbook with your emergency plan and evacuation diagrams. Brief wardens on how the system behaves during a test so they can reassure occupants when the lights dip and then switch to battery.

Every action here ties back to the product in your ceiling. A compliant exit light is not just a bright green sign; it’s part of a documented system that performs on demand and proves it can.

Practical benefits you can see on day one

• Faster evacuations: clear cues reduce hesitation at intersections and doors.
• Fewer trip hazards: adequate light on stairs and thresholds keeps people on their feet.
• Better audit outcomes: a current test record and tagged fittings make compliance checks smoother.
• Lower lifecycle cost: LED kits and scheduled battery changes prevent surprise failures and call-outs.

Common questions

How do emergency exit lights work during an outage?
When the supply drops, each fitting switches to battery instantly. Exit signs continue to glow, and non-maintained luminaires come on to light the path. You should see consistent light for the full 90-minute period.

Should emergency exit lights be on all the time in a small tenancy?
Exit signs generally should be on at all times so people can recognise exits even during normal trading. The emergency luminaires in the same tenancy usually stay off until the power fails or you run a scheduled test.

What’s the tell-tale sign my system needs attention?
During the six-monthly test, some fittings fade well before 90 minutes or don’t come back to full brightness once power is restored. That points to tired batteries, failed LED boards or a charger fault. Tag and replace promptly.

Do I need maintained or non-maintained fittings in all areas?
Select the type to suit the space. Public foyers and retail often use maintained signs so exits are always obvious. Back-of-house corridors and plant rooms often rely on non-maintained luminaires for outages, still fully compliant when spaced correctly.

How often are replacements needed?
Batteries are consumables. Many sites align battery changes with the second or fourth six-monthly test, depending on environment and duty cycle. LEDs last much longer but should still be checked for uniform brightness and damage.

Final tips for exit and emergency lighting

Good choices now save headaches later. Select exit light signs with the right viewing distance, match emergency luminaires to your ceiling height and corridor width, and choose fittings with batteries that are easy to access during testing. The result is a system that protects people, passes audits and doesn’t chew up maintenance hours.

Want certainty, not guesswork? Book a 60-minute emergency lighting compliance check with Albert Corn & Son. We’ll walk your paths of travel, confirm sign classifications and spacing, run the 90-minute discharge test, and leave you with a clear action list and an updated logbook. You’ll know your exit light and emergency fittings are ready to perform when it counts.