When an unexpected situation strikes, it is easy to panic and worry about what steps to take next and what precautions you could have put in place beforehand. Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing but it is a gift that we unfortunately don’t have. When faced with such a situation, it is nice to know that things can easily be sorted with just a few actions.

We’ve all had that panicked moment when the lights go out, your phone is dead and the candles are either the other end of the building or you don’t have any in. The only option in that case is to wait the power cut out and usually we only have to wait a couple of minutes but what if the power went down for a few hours? Staying in one place all that time isn’t practical and all because you cannot see to move – what happens if a fire breaks out?! Practicality should always win out when it comes to matters of life and death and I see no reason why emergency lighting shouldn’t be included on any homeowner or business owners plan!

Plenty of buildings around the world now use functional and stylish wall lights to adorn their living space and stay true to their minimalistic style. Relying heavily on the electricity, buildings will often be left in the dark should a power outage occur. Whilst these generally aren’t regular occurrences for most areas, it always pays to be careful and it seems like a good idea to have some emergency lighting set up just in case.

Emergency lighting is essentially battery backed devices that activate automatically should a power cut occur. Whilst most commonly seen in larger buildings such as both commercial and residential high-rise buildings, emergency lighting is starting to become more popular in smaller buildings too. Emergency lighting is generally easy to install and maintain, meaning building owners can sit back and relax in the knowledge that they won’t be in complete darkness. Some companies even offer DIY emergency lighting kits to make the job even easier. These normally contain a metal gear tray with an emergency LED, an inverter, a battery pack and terminal block. By ensuring the battery pack is charged at all times, it is impossible to left in the pitch black should a power outage occur.

This type of lighting also generally comes with the option of what wattage to use whilst using less energy consumption than a normal light would and occasionally a dimmable option too. For the most part, emergency lighting is suitable for paint finishes in order to ensure it matches your other lighting perfectly.

There are so many options available out there at affordable prices – there really is something for every budget. People make sure to have an emergency fund should any unexpected bill arrive, why not take the initiative and do something similar when it comes to protecting their buildings? In most countries, emergency lighting of some description in buildings of high occupancy or any new build commercial buildings is required by law. There needs to be an adequate and well lit means of escape. The emergency lighting itself needn’t be fancy – as long as it fits with the décor and does its job properly when the time comes, there is no need to flash the cash and fork out for the most expensive range available. If your budget is less than £200, there are some great options available if you shop around for some practical but beautiful emergency lighting – something that will look nice but hardly break the bank.

Whilst cheaper options could be expected to be one size fits all with little to no change in design element, there are in fact many designs available for such practical items as this meaning each and every building could find its perfect fit. It is only in recent years that emergency lighting has moved away from the traditional plain looking two head units and instead designed them to integrate into the architecture of the building. Generally backed up by batteries, emergency lighting usually has two modes: a ‘maintained’ more where the light is illuminated at all times or the ‘non-maintained’ where the lighting only activates should the normal supply fail.

It is high time smaller buildings started to take advantage of the practicality emergency lighting brings too. Whilst bigger buildings obviously provide higher occupancy rates whether this be for commercial or residential reasons, products such as Do It Yourself conversion kits offer something for the everyday homeowner looking to be as practical in case of an emergency.

Whilst it is a standard in buildings nowadays, emergency lighting is something that the majority of people don’t give a second thought to – it is simply that little piece of light that shows an adequate route to an emergency exit. Yet it is something that is essential for everyday living no matter where you are in the world! Could you imagine a building that didn’t have emergency lighting and the worst happened? There would be absolute chaos! Emergency lighting is a product that lingers in the background – it is bought and installed as standard but unless you are the person involved in the buying or selling process, it isn’t something you will generally think about as you go about your day to day life yet it could impact on your life dramatically if it wasn’t there.

Emergency lighting is an everyday essential product for everyone in the world which they probably do not realise. Products such as these mean the difference between life and death in the event of an emergency and there is really no excuse to not have any, especially where required by law. There are some fantastic companies who offer these products at affordable prices designed to suit all budgets and I for one am glad that such a product exists in our world. It may change slightly over time but there is no denying emergency lighting is a lifesaver.