Cortem Group LFED and LFEE series Ex lighting fixtures for emergency exits and escape routes

04 June 2019

Cortem Group has designed two new emergency lighting fixtures series for illuminating and identifying emergency exits or escape routes in the event of danger: the LFED series with ‘Ex db op is’ and the LFEE series with ‘Ex db eb mb op is’ method of protection.

LFED lighting fixture from Cortem Group

Emergency lighting means illumination designed to operate when the main system is down. This is one of the main principles of plant safety - to allow the evacuation of people in case of danger, or to allow operators to move in case of electrical failure and blackout.

The explosion-protected LFED series emergency lighting fixtures consists of a low copper content aluminium alloy enclosure while the increased safety LFEE series emergency lighting fixtures consists of an AISI 316L stainless steel box. They feature a tempered glass or UV-resistant polycarbonate window printed with a pictogram and a resin LED strip light positioned at the distance necessary to guarantee ‘Ex op is’ protection.

The emergency versions are fitted with a high-brightness LED indicator light that monitors battery operation and notifies the user in the event of a fault. It switches on automatically if there is a power failure and lasts between 3 and 5 hours for the LFED series, depending on the capacity of the chosen batteries, and up to 6 hours for the LFEE series. The red LED switches off to indicate that the batteries need replacing either because of a fault in the emergency circuit or because they are flat.

The emergency lighting is divided, depending on the purpose, into:
a) reserve lighting;
b) safety lighting.

The reserve lighting allows for activities to continue when the ordinary lighting is down. It can be used for escape routes and emergencies if it meets the relevant requirements.

Safety lighting is expected to allow the safe evacuation of an area or allow staff to finish a potentially dangerous or vital ongoing process before leaving the room.

The safety lighting is subdivided into:

* lighting of emergency exits and streets: security lighting that ensures that escape routes are effectively identified and used safely when a place is busy. Safety lighting must illuminate the way out so that it can easily be followed up to the emergency exit, which must be easily identifiable.

* no-panic lighting: security lighting that works to avoid panic and that allows people to reach the place where the escape routes can be identified.

* lighting of high-risk areas: security lighting that works for the safety of the people involved in potentially hazardous processes or situations where it is necessary to activate a procedure to end the process for the safety of operators.