Emergency lighting is the umbrella term for any lighting that operates when the supply to normal lighting fails. It is divided into emergency escape lighting (escape route lighting, anti-panic or open area lighting, and high-risk task area lighting) and standby lighting, which allows normal activities to continue. Exit sign luminaires are part of escape route lighting and can operate in maintained or non-maintained mode.
What is emergency lighting – and what is it not?
Emergency lighting is lighting provided for use when the supply to the normal artificial lighting fails. That is, in essence, how the European standard EN 1838 defines it. In everyday language, "emergency lighting", "emergency lights" and "escape lighting" are often used interchangeably. Technically that is imprecise: emergency escape lighting (in German standards Sicherheitsbeleuchtung) is only one part of emergency lighting, and it is the only part intended to protect people.
The distinction matters in practice. Whether a luminaire belongs to escape lighting or to standby lighting determines which requirements apply for illuminance, response time, duration, power supply and testing. Which types your building needs depends on workplace law, building regulations and, where applicable, the fire safety strategy of the building – see When is emergency lighting required?.
Overview: what types of emergency lighting are there?
The structure used in EN 1838 and EN 50172 can be shown as a tree:
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency lighting | Emergency escape lighting | Escape route lighting | identify and use escape routes safely |
| Emergency lighting | Emergency escape lighting | Anti-panic (open area) lighting | reduce panic, reach an escape route |
| Emergency lighting | Emergency escape lighting | High-risk task area lighting | shut down dangerous processes safely |
| Emergency lighting | Standby lighting | – | continue normal activities |
Safety signs are not a separate branch but part of escape route lighting: the signs show the way, the lighting makes it usable.
The types in detail: definitions at a glance
| Type | Definition | Typical use | Core requirement per EN 1838 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escape route lighting | Part of escape lighting that makes escape routes and exits identifiable and safe to use | corridors, stairwells, exits | at least 1 lx on the centre line (routes up to 2 m wide) |
| Anti-panic (open area) lighting | Part of escape lighting that reduces panic in larger areas without defined escape routes and lets occupants reach an escape route | sales floors, halls, open-plan offices, assembly rooms | at least 0.5 lx on the empty floor area |
| High-risk task area lighting | Part of escape lighting that allows potentially dangerous processes to be terminated safely | running machinery, laboratories, control rooms | at least 10 % of normal illuminance, minimum 15 lx |
| Standby lighting | Part of emergency lighting that allows normal activities to continue substantially unchanged | operating theatres, control centres, data centres | depends on the task; not escape lighting in the strict sense |
The exact lux values, uniformity ratios and response times are covered in Emergency lighting illuminance.
Escape route lighting
Escape route lighting is the most common form. It ensures that people can leave a building safely when the power fails. Besides lighting the route itself, it includes illuminated exit signs at exits and changes of direction, and lighting of safety equipment. EN 1838 also requires luminaires at specific points, such as at each exit door, near stairs, at changes of direction, at corridor intersections, and near first aid points, fire-fighting equipment and call points.
Anti-panic lighting
Anti-panic lighting (also called open area lighting) covers areas where many people may be present without a marked escape route. Its purpose is orientation: occupants should see obstacles and reach the nearest escape route. It is typically required in rooms above a certain size; the threshold comes from the standard, the risk assessment or national building rules.
High-risk task area lighting
This type is intended for workplaces where a sudden loss of light is itself a hazard – for example at open machinery that runs on, in laboratories handling dangerous substances or at switchgear. It must be bright enough and available quickly enough for workers to shut down the process safely or leave the danger zone, and it must operate for as long as the hazard exists.
Standby lighting
Standby lighting allows operations to continue during a power failure. It serves availability, not primarily the safety of people. If standby lighting is also used as escape lighting, it must meet all escape lighting requirements – including power supply and testing.
Exit sign luminaires: internally or externally illuminated?
An exit sign luminaire is an emergency luminaire that displays a safety sign according to ISO 7010 and keeps it legible during a power failure. There are two designs:
- Internally illuminated (backlit): the sign is part of the luminaire and lit from behind. For the same size it can be recognised from roughly twice the distance of an externally illuminated sign.
- Externally illuminated: a printed sign is lit by a separate emergency luminaire. This is cheaper to buy but more sensitive to poor positioning and shadowing.
How large a sign must be for a given distance and where it should be placed is explained in Exit signs and viewing distance.
Maintained or non-maintained mode?
The operating mode describes when an emergency luminaire is lit.
| Mode | Definition | Typical application |
|---|---|---|
| Maintained | The lamp is lit whenever normal lighting is in use and stays lit when the supply fails | exit signs in many workplaces and places of assembly |
| Non-maintained | The lamp lights only when the supply to normal lighting fails | luminaires lighting escape routes and open areas |
| Switched maintained | The lamp is switched together with normal lighting and changes to emergency operation automatically on supply failure | rooms where the sign should only be lit during use |
Exit signs are often operated in maintained mode so that they are always visible, even when the mains supply is healthy. Many national rules require this for certain building types – in Germany, for example, DIN VDE V 0108-100-1 together with the building permit and the fire safety strategy. Check the national rules that apply to your building.
Practical tip: Record in the logbook which type each luminaire belongs to and in which mode it operates. This makes testing and later alterations much easier.
Which power supply goes with which type?
Escape lighting is usually supplied by self-contained luminaires (battery in each fitting), group battery systems or central battery systems. With a central battery, one shared battery supplies all luminaires via fire-resistant cabling. The pros and cons are compared in Self-contained vs central battery. How long each type must operate is covered in Emergency lighting duration.
Frequently asked questions
Is emergency lighting the same as escape lighting?
No. Emergency lighting is the umbrella term and escape lighting is one part of it. Emergency lighting also includes standby lighting, which serves the continuation of work rather than the protection of people.
What is the difference between anti-panic lighting and escape route lighting?
Escape route lighting lights defined escape routes with at least 1 lx on the centre line. Anti-panic lighting covers larger areas without marked routes with at least 0.5 lx, so that people can orient themselves and reach an escape route.
Are exit signs part of emergency lighting?
Yes. Illuminated exit signs are part of escape route lighting. They must remain legible during a power failure, either as an internally illuminated exit sign luminaire or as an externally illuminated sign.
Can standby lighting replace escape lighting?
Only if it meets every escape lighting requirement, including illuminance, response time, duration, power supply and testing. Otherwise a separate escape lighting installation is needed.
Must an exit sign always operate in maintained mode?
Not in every building, but in many. National rules frequently require maintained exit signs in workplaces and places of assembly. What applies to your building depends on national regulations, the building permit and the fire safety strategy.
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