3.2.7. Lighting and Emergency Power Systems

3.2.7. Lighting and Emergency Power Systems
3.2.7.1. Minimum Lighting Requirements
  1. An exit, a public corridor, or a corridor providing access to exit for the public or serving patients' sleeping rooms or classrooms shall be equipped to provide illumination to an average level not less than 50 lx at floor or tread level and at angles and intersections at changes of level where there are stairs or ramps.
  2. The minimum value of the illumination required by Sentence (1) shall be not less than 10 lx.
  3. Rooms and spaces used by the public shall be illuminated as described in Article 9.34.2.7.
  4. Lighting outlets in a building of residential occupancy shall be provided in conformance with Subsection 9.34.2.
3.2.7.2. Recessed Lighting Fixtures
  1. A recessed lighting fixture shall not be located in an insulated ceiling unless the fixture is designed for this type of installation.
3.2.7.3. Emergency Lighting
  1. Emergency lighting shall be provided to an average level of illumination not less than 10 lx at floor or tread level in
    1. exits,
    2. principal routes providing access to exit in open floor areas and in service rooms,
    3. corridors used by the public,
    4. corridors serving sleeping rooms in a treatment occupancy,
    5. corridors serving sleeping rooms in a care occupancy, except corridors serving sleeping rooms within individual suites of care occupancy,
    6. corridors serving classrooms,
    7. underground walkways,
    8. public corridors,
    9. floor areas or parts thereof where the public may congregate
      1. in Group A, Division 1 occupancies, or
      2. in Group A, Division 2 and 3 occupancies having an occupant load of 60 or more,
    10. floor areas or parts thereof of daycare centres where persons are cared for,
    11. food preparation areas in commercial kitchens, and
    12. public washrooms that are equipped to servemore than one person at a time.

  2. Emergency lighting to provide an average level of illumination of not less than 10 lx at floor or catwalk level shall be included in a service space referred to in Sentence 3.2.1.1.(8).
  3. The minimum value of the illumination required by Sentences (1) and (2) shall be not less than 1 lx.
  4. In addition to the requirements of Sentences (1) to (3), the installation of battery-operated emergency lighting in buildings or part thereof where treatment is provided shall conform to the appropriate requirements of CSA Z32, "Electrical Safety and Essential Electrical Systems in Health Care Facilities."
3.2.7.4. Emergency Power for Lighting
  1. An emergency power supply shall be
    1. provided to maintain the emergency lighting required by this Subsection from a power source such as batteries or generators that will continue to supply power in the event that the regular power supply to the building is interrupted, and
    2. so designed and installed that upon failure of the regular power it will assume the electrical load automatically for a period of
      1. i) 2 h for a building within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6.,
      2. 1 h for a building of Group B major occupancy classification that is not within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6.,
      3. 1 h for a building constructed in accordance with Article 3.2.2.50. or 3.2.2.58., and
      4. 30 min for a building of any other occupancy. (See Note A-3.2.7.4.(1).)
  2. If self-contained emergency lighting units are used, they shall conform to CSA C22.2 No. 141, "Emergency Lighting Equipment."
3.2.7.5. Emergency Power Supply Installation
  1. Except as required by Articles 3.2.7.6. and 3.2.7.7., an emergency electrical power supply system shall be installed in conformance with CSA C282, "Emergency Electrical Power Supply for Buildings." (See Sentence 3.2.7.8.(1) for emergency electrical power supply for voice communication systems.)
3.2.7.6. Emergency Power for Treatment Occupancies
  1. Except as required by Article 3.2.7.7., an emergency electrical power supply system for emergency equipment required by this Part for treatment occupancies shall be installed in conformance with CSA Z32, "Electrical Safety and Essential Electrical Systems in Health Care Facilities." (See Note A-3.2.7.6.(1).)
3.2.7.7. Fuel Supply Shut-off Valves
  1. If a liquid or gas fuel-fired engine or turbine for an emergency electric power supply is dependent on a fuel supply from outside the building, the fuel supply shall be provided with a suitably-identified separate shut-off valve outside the building.
3.2.7.8. Emergency Power for Fire Alarm Systems
  1. Fire alarm systems, including those incorporating a voice communication system, shall be provided with an emergency power supply conforming to Sentences (2), (3) and (4).
  2. The emergency power supply required by Sentence (1) shall be supplied from
    1. a generator,
    2. batteries, or
    3. a combination thereof.
  3. The emergency power supply required by Sentence (1) shall be capable of providing
    1. supervisory power for not less than 24 h, and
    2. immediately following that period, emergency power under full load for not less than
      1. 2 h for a building within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6.,
      2. 1 h for a building classified as a Group B major occupancy that is not within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6.,
      3. 1 h for a building constructed in accordance with Article 3.2.2.50. or 3.2.2.58.,
      4. 5 min for a building not required to be equipped with an annunciator, and
      5. 30 min for any other building. (See Note A-3.2.7.8.(3).)
  4. The emergency power supply required by Sentence (1) shall be designed so that, in the event of a failure of the normal power source, there is an immediate automatic transfer to emergency power with no loss of information.
3.2.7.9. Emergency Power for Building Services
  1. An emergency power supply capable of operating under a full load for not less than 2 h shall be provided by an emergency generator for
    1. every elevator serving storeys above the first storey in a building that is more than 36 m high measured between grade and the floor level of the top storey and every elevator for firefighters in conformance with Sentence (2),
    2. water supply for firefighting in conformance with Article 3.2.5.7., if the supply is dependent on electrical power supplied to the building,
    3. fans and other electrical equipment that are installed to maintain the air quality specified in Articles 3.2.6.2. and 3.3.3.6.,
    4. fans required for venting by Article 3.2.6.6., and
    5. fans required by Clause 3.2.8.4.(1)(c) and Article 3.2.8.7. in buildings within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6. (See Note A-3.2.7.9.(1).)
  2. Except as permitted by Sentence (3), the emergency power supply for elevators required by Clause (1)(a) shall be capable of operating all elevators for firefighters plus one additional elevator simultaneously.
  3. Sentence (2) does not apply if the time to recall all elevators under emergency power supply is not more than 5 min, each from its most remote storey to
    1. the storey containing the entrance for firefighter access referred to in Articles 3.2.5.4. and 3.2.5.5., or
    2. to a transfer lobby.
3.2.7.10. Protection of Electrical Conductors
  1. The protection of electrical and emergency conductors referred to in Clauses (a) to (c) shall conform to the requirements stated in Sentences (2) to (11):
    1. electrical conductors located within buildings identified in Article 3.2.6.1. serving
      1. fire alarms,
      2. emergency lighting, or
      3. emergency equipment within the scope of Articles 3.2.6.2. to 3.2.6.8.,
    2. emergency conductors serving fire pumps required to be installed under Article 3.2.5.18., and
    3. electrical conductors serving mechanical systems serving
      1. areas of refuge identified in Clause 3.3.3.6.(1)(b), or
      2. contained use areas identified in Clauses 3.3.3.7.(4)(a) and (b).
  2. Except as otherwise required by Sentence (3) and permitted by this Article, electrical conductors that are used in conjunction with systems identified in Sentence (1) shall
    1. conform to CAN/ULC-S139, "Fire Test for Evaluation of Integrity of Electrical Power, Data and Optical Fibre Cables," including the hose stream application, to provide a circuit integrity rating of not less than 1 h (see Note A-3.2.7.10.(2)(a) and (3)(a)), or
    2. be located in a service space that is separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation that has a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h.
  3. Electrical conductors identified in Clause (1)(c) shall
    1. conform to CAN/ULC-S139, "Fire Test for Evaluation of Integrity of Electrical Power, Data and Optical Fibre Cables," including the hose stream application, to provide a circuit integrity rating of not less than 2 h (see Note A-3.2.7.10.(2)(a) and (3)(a)), or
    2. be located in a service space that is separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation that has a fire-resistance rating not less than 2 h.
  4. The service spaces referred to in Clauses (2)(b) and (3)(b) shall not contain any combustible materials other than the conductors being protected.
  5. Except as stated in Sentences (7) and (9), the electrical conductors referred to in Sentence (1) are those that extend from the source of emergency power to
    1. the equipment served, or
    2. the distribution equipment supplying power to the equipment served, if both are in the same room (see Note A-3.2.7.10.(5)(b)).
  6. If a fire alarm transponder or annunciator in one fire compartment is connected to a central processing unit or another transponder or annunciator located in a different fire compartment, the electrical conductors connecting them shall be protected in accordance with Sentence (2).
  7. Fire alarm system branch circuits within a storey that connect transponders and individual devices need not conform to Sentence (2). (See Note A-3.2.7.10.(7).)
  8. Except as permitted in Sentence (9), if a distribution panel supplies power to emergency lighting, the power supply conductors leading up to the distribution panel shall be protected in accordance with Sentence (2).
  9. Conductors leading from a distribution panel referred to in Sentence (8) to emergency lighting units in the same storey need not conform to Sentence (2).
  10. Distribution panels serving emergency lighting units located on other storeys shall be installed in a service room separated from the floor area by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of at least 1 h.
  11. Conductors leading from a distribution panel to emergency lighting units located on other storeys shall be protected in accordance with Sentence (2) between the distribution panel and the floor area where the emergency lighting units are located.

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