Emergency lighting

The Arbobesluit (Dutch regulations and prescriptions for working conditions) obliges every employer to install proper emergency lighting and safety markings in every place where employees are set to work (in offices, industry and every other working place) and also maintain these adequately. 

The article defines a working place as: every place that in connection to the carrying out of labour is or is normally used for that purpose. Both owners and employers are therefore responsible for a reliable emergency lighting installation. The necessity of maintaining the emergency lighting installation is also acknowledged by the legislator.  In the law and in the working conditions law (Arbo-law), this has been included. Emergency lighting is a safety installation and therefore it has a periodical maintenance obligation.

The determines that an emergency lighting installation needs to be checked out and kept in good condition at least once a year.  This needs to happen in an adequate manner. The owner and/or user of the installation will have to point out a recognised expert, who will then check the installation conform the European norm NEN-EN 50172 and the ISSO publication 79.

The annual maintenance is to be carried out by a skilled person who has knowledge about electricity, experience with electro technical tasks, insight in possible hazards and adequate precautionary measures. The maintenance is more complex than it seems to be at first sight and it is far more than replacing a light bulb. Especially the testing of the autonomy and the replacing of batteries require absolute thorough knowledge of electro technical activities.