Emergency Conversions

An emergency conversion is the re-engineering of an existing mains luminaire in order to provide emergency lighting which operates when the normal lighting supply fails. There are numerous types of emergency luminaire which include Fluorescent, Low Voltage and HID lamp sources.

Integral Conversion

When undertaking an integral conversion (accommodating the emergency components within the luminaire), it is generally necessary to re-arrange the internal component layout in order to incorporate the emergency lighting equipment so as to obtain the optimum thermal performance. All control gear, be it batteries, control modules or ballasts are temperature sensitive so it is paramount to situate the gear as far away from the lamp cathodes (hottest part of the luminaire) as possible. The other governing factors when considering an integral conversion are electrical safety and EMC compliance. All re-wiring should be routed so as to ensure minimal EMC leakage. The procedures and criteria for this are set out in the ICEL1004 documentation.

Remote Conversion

Where it is not practical to mount the emergency components within the luminaire then a remote enclosure should be used. Where this can be mounted within one metre of the luminaire, the requirements of EN 60598-2-22/2004 should apply. Should a distance of more than one metre be required then fire protected cables should be used in accordance with BS5266.

Other criteria to consider for both integral and remote conversions are:

• The unswitched mains supply should be clearly identified.
• Marking should meet the requirements of EN 60598 and where applicable be fixed to the luminaire.
• The location of the charge indicator (LED) shall enable it to be visible when the luminaire is installed. (Not required for ‘Slave’ luminaries).

Finally, in accordance with ICEL1004:2003, a technical file should be implemented detailing layouts, traceability of components, thermal and EMC tests and where possible, photographic evidence of the conversion.