Over the last few years, Spazio Lighting has become aware that there is some confusion in the South African market on the legal requirements of LED emergency exit signs to be used in the built environment. This confusion is often generated and caused by the discrepancy between what is required by the fire building inspector in order to deem a building safe, and the South African law on emergency exit signs for buildings.
Emergency exit signs can be considered as:
- Luminaires.
- Exit signs.
Due to these two differentiating factors or characteristics, all emergency exit signs must:
- Have an LOA (Letter of Authority) based on IEC 60598. IEC is the standards set out by the International Electrotechnical Commission. In the case of an IEC 60598 it measures the classification, marking, mechanical construction, electrical construction and photobiological safety of a luminaire.
- A positive test report based on the building standards called SANS 1464-22 which specifies the safety requirements of emergency light luminaires.
It has to be noted that the testing that needs to be done in order to issue an LOA based on the IEC 60598 cannot be produced in South Africa, seeing as the SABS does not currently have the facility to test for blue ray radiation of the LED chips built into the emergency exit signs.
In spite of this, some manufacturers affix the SABS mark of approval to their emergency exit signs, but in effect, this mark is completely irrelevant seeing as it does not indicate that the product has been tested according to IEC 60598 and SANS 1464-22. In other words, the SABS mark of approval on any LED light fitting sold in South Africa is irrelevant seeing as no blue ray radiation testing could have been done.
Only a valid LOA based on the IEC 60598, accompanied by a SANS 1464-22 test report, in the case of emergency exit signs, can legally validate the compliance of the product according to the South African legal requirements.
When purchasing an emergency exit sign, be sure to request the IEC 60598 and SANS 1464-22 test report from the supplier in order to ensure that the emergency LED fitting you are purchasing meets all the legal requirements.
All Spazio Lighting’s emergency lighting and exit signs have the necessary LOAs and test reports in place and are fully compliant in terms of the South African law for emergency LED lighting.
Enquiries: www.spaziolighting.com