A new Fire Precaution project is being installed at The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust which offers a monitored emergency escape lighting facility and complies with all necessary regulations. The existing system is being replaced by Fagerhult's new LED emergency lighting system called emLED which uses the 2w high output Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamp.IBS in Cambridge were employed by the Trust to design a suitable system which needed to be cost effective, remaining within the allocated budget. Other systems were considered but Mike Brannan from IBS had previously used the emLED units and was impressed by its performance, cost and aesthetic benefits. In addition, the fitting could be mounted seamlessly within the ceiling tile, hardly visible with its miniaturised electrical components which include an opto switch which can be linked to the hospital's Building Management System (BMS).
IBS's endorsement was then supported by the local Fire Officer who approved the product, leading to an impressive order of over 1000 units for Fagerhult – the largest order to date for emLED in the UK.
On the project the 2w LED downlight is recessed into a mineral tile system in corridors and other areas in the hospital. With an average spacing between fixtures of 5m, the emergency design criteria of 1 lux minimum is easily met. They are grouped, by location, and this information is fed back to the Hospital Building Management System. The fault finding facility can then detect a fault in any unit within zones.
IBS have specified Fagerhult luminaires in other areas of the hospital. In addition to the emLED system, the new Pharmacy area is lit by Looplight 2 x 28W T5 pendants and Sonatra wall luminaires. The Cancer Education Centre is lit by Looplight, again for the general lighting, with Libraline wall mounted to highlight the notice boards. The slightly asymmetric distribution of the Libraline fitting provides a uniform distribution on the vertical surfaces, ideal for this application.
The list continues with Indigo Dual, Looplight 2x35w T5 wall luminaires and Pleiad 42w TC-T dimmable downlights to light the Acute Medical Unit (AMU). In addition, Selene luminaires are mounted above the beds on a special bracket, to avoid shadows from the reading light due to the trunking systems below. These luminaires provide a 55w TC-L uplight capability, with 14w T5 reading lamp and 5w night light. The luminaire has the added dimension of a blue décor strip to provide an attractive aesthetic appeal in the space. The Lento luminaire is also provided to illuminate notice boards behind the nurse base stations.
Eamonn Lee-Barrett of the Estates department is happy with the results so far and looking forward to the finished item.
