Exit and Emergency Lighting Failures Rate
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Maybe I'm starting to get a little older and the grey hairs are starting to show more, but back in my day... I mean when exit lights were built to last it wasn't uncommon to see exit and emergency lighting pass the 10-year mark or even longer. When an emergency light needed replacing the first part I would look for was the Quality Assurance Test Date. Seeing lights go 8, 10, 15 years was amazing to me as a young tradesman.
Are exit lights not built to last?
As the years rolled on and the new and exciting LED replaced exit light tubes. LED emergency lights came into fashion I thought great, no heat, sealed units no more insects in light fittings, equals lower failure rates to AS2293. Like any new technology, early units didn't last long and we wouldn't recommend installing them. However, as the exit lights proved in testing to AS2293 over the first two years FCF Fire & Electrical selected repeatable brands and offered them to our clients.
Personally, I've always seen my position as a Fire Technician/ Electrician is that I operate in the service industry and service is best for our clients. I only wanted to recommend brands that would last with time. I really become upset with some brands having sales at the front of the electrical wholesaler. Buy 10 lights and received an esky or buy 20 lights to go in a draw. Not that I don't mind an esky but when clever marketing to tradespeople jeopardises the quality of the product being installed I have to question the tradesman's morals.
Noticing an ever-increasing exit and emergency lighting failures rate with some lights literally only making it 1 month past the warranty date was unprofessional. Yes, you pay for what you receive however these exit lights aren't cheap. Especially when it's only $15 to $25 more for quality lights.
Searching for better exit and emergency lights
Approaching manufactures didn't seem to have the desired outcome as brands with a long history were now forced to provide cheaper lights to the market to stay competitive. I and FCF didn't want a bar of cheap lights. So we started looking for better products offshore only to find a similar quality exit light.
Building our own exit light and emergency system
The quest to bring quality back to the industry turned out to be a learning curve and very difficult to take a new product from a circuit board to a light that would stand the test of time. We had trouble just about every step of the journey and while facing one of those trouble points, we located a new supplier.
5 Year Warranty Aussie Company
In no time at all FCF had found a supplier who was in Queensland and had the same focus. We dropped our own exit light range as they were light-years (get it? LOL) ahead of us.
We did it a five-year warranty and looking forward to seeing the good old days of looking at the dates and holding my head high that FCF doesn't replace lights every 12, 18, 36 months. 60 month-5 Year minimum.
Go Team FCF Fire & Electrical
Useful links for your business;
- Fire Training Online/ VR or Class Room
- Evacuation Diagrams from $25
- Find a local owner-operator near you - Mackay, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Brisbane, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Adelaide, Tasmania plus more check out www.fcfnational.com.au
Jacob Foster has over 15 years' experience as a Fire Professional and even longer as an electrician. Starting FCF in 2008 at the beginning of the GFC Jacob has seen tough times for clients and focused on delivering affordable fire protection services to meet state legislation. Going to help families start their own business and continue to train all fire technicians across various levels to meet the FCF Standard. With International awards and local recognition FCF is an Industry Leader, find out more at https://www.firesafetyfranchise.com.au/how-fcf-started.html
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