Part E4 Visibility in an emergency, exit signs and warning systems

The Objective of this Part is, in an emergency, to safeguard occupants from injury by—

1. having adequate visibility; and
2. having adequate identification of exits and paths of travel to exits; and
3. being made aware of the emergency.

A building is to be provided with—

1. adequate visibility upon failure of normal artificial lighting during an emergency; and
2. adequate means—
   1. of warning occupants to evacuate; and
   2. to manage the evacuation process; and
   3. to identify exits and paths of travel to an exit.

To facilitate safe evacuation in an emergency, a building must be provided with a system that—

1. ensures a level of visibility sufficient to enable exits, paths of travel to exits and any obstacles along a path of travel to an exit to be identified; and
2. activates instantaneously upon the failure of an artificial lighting system, to the degree necessary, appropriate to—
   1. the function or use of the building; and
   2. the floor area of the building; and
   3. the distance of travel to an exit.

To facilitate evacuation, suitable signs or other means of identification must, to the degree necessary—

1. be provided to identify the location of exits; and
2. guide occupants to exits; and
3. be clearly visible to occupants; and
4. operate in the event of a power failure of the main lighting system for sufficient time for occupants to safely evacuate.

To warn occupants of an emergency and assist evacuation of a building, an emergency warning and intercom system must be provided, to the degree necessary, appropriate to—

1. the floor area of the building; and
2. the function or use of the building; and
3. the height of the building.

(1) Compliance with E4P1 is verified for the level of visibility for safe evacuation in an emergency and instantaneous activation, when an emergency lighting system satisfies the requirements of (2) to (5).

(2) The calculated horizontal illuminance is not less than—

1. 0.2 lux at floor level in the path of travel to an exit; and
2. 1 lux at each floor level or tread in every required—
   1. fire-isolated stairway; or
   2. fire-isolated passageway; or
   3. fire-isolated ramp; or
   4. non-fire-isolated stairway; or
   5. non-fire-isolated ramp.

(3) The emergency lighting provides a level of illuminance not less than—

1. 10% of that required by (2) within 1 second of energisation; and
2. 80% of that required by (2) within 15 seconds of energisation.

(4) The full level of illumination required by (2) must be achieved within 60 seconds of energisation.

(5) An emergency lighting system must operate at not less than the minimum required level of illuminance for not less than 90 minutes.

Compliance with E4P1, E4P2 and E4P3 is verified when a building is designed in accordance with C1V4.

(1) Where a Deemed-to-Satisfy Solution is proposed, Performance Requirements E4P1 to E4P3 are satisfied by complying with—

1. E4D2 to E4D9; and
2. in a building containing an atrium, Part G3; and
3. in a building in an alpine area, Part G4; and
4. for a building containing an occupiable outdoor area, Part G6; and
5. for additional requirements for Class 9b buildings, Part I1; and
6. for farm buildings and farm sheds, Part I3.

(2) Where a Performance Solution is proposed, the relevant Performance Requirements must be determined in accordance with A2G2(3) and A2G4(3) as applicable.

An emergency lighting system must be installed—

1. in every fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; and
2. in every storey of a Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 building where the storey has an area more than 300 m²—
   1. in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, that is part of the path of travel to an exit; and
   2. in any room having a floor area more than 100 m² that does not open to a corridor or space that has emergency lighting or to a road or open space; and
   3. in any room having a floor area more than 300 m²; and
3. in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, having a length of more than 6 m from the entrance doorway of any sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building to the nearest doorway opening directly to—
   1. a fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; or
   2. an external stairway serving instead of a fire-isolated stairway under D2D13; or
   3. an external balcony leading to a fire-isolated stairway, fire-isolated passageway or fire-isolated ramp; or
   4. a road or open space; and
4. in every required non-fire-isolated stairway; and
5. in a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 5, 6 or 9 building if—
   1. the floor area of the unit is more than 300 m²; and
   2. an exit from the unit does not open to a road or open space or to an external stairway, passageway, balcony or ramp, leading directly to a road or open space; and
6. in every room or space to which there is public access in every storey in a Class 6 or 9b building if—
   1. the floor area in that storey is more than 300 m²; or
   2. any point on the floor of that storey is more than 20 m from the nearest doorway leading directly to a stairway, ramp, passageway, road or open space; or
   3. egress from that storey involves a vertical rise within the building of more than 1.5 m, or any vertical rise if the storey concerned does not admit sufficient light; or
   4. the storey provides a path of travel from any other storey required by (i), (ii) or (iii) to have emergency lighting; and
7. in a Class 9a health-care building—
   1. in every passageway, corridor, hallway, or the like, serving a treatment area or a ward area; and
   2. in every room having a floor area of more than 120 m² in a patient care area; and
8. in every Class 9c building excluding within sole-occupancy units; and
9. in every required fire control centre.

Distances, other than vertical rise, must be measured along the shortest path of travel whether by straight lines, curves or a combination of both.

Every required emergency lighting system must comply with AS/NZS 2293.1.

An exit sign must be clearly visible to persons approaching the exit, and must be installed on, above or adjacent to each—

1. door providing direct egress from a storey to—
   1. an enclosed stairway, passageway or ramp serving as a required exit; and
   2. an external stairway, passageway or ramp serving as a required exit; and
   3. an external access balcony leading to a required exit; and
2. door from an enclosed stairway, passageway or ramp at every level of discharge to a road or open space; and
3. horizontal exit; and
4. door serving as, or forming part of, a required exit in a storey required to be provided with emergency lighting in accordance with E4D2.

If an exit is not readily apparent to persons occupying or visiting the building then exit signs must be installed in appropriate positions in corridors, hallways, lobbies, and the like, indicating the direction to a required exit.

E4D5 does not apply to—

1. a Class 2 building in which every door referred to is clearly and legibly labelled on the side remote from the exit or balcony—
   1. with the word “EXIT” in capital letters 25 mm high in a colour contrasting with that of the background; or
   2. by some other suitable method; and
2. an entrance door of a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building.

Every required exit sign must—

1. comply with—
   1. AS/NZS 2293.1; or
   2. for a photoluminescent exit sign, Specification 25; and
2. be clearly visible at all times when the building is occupied by any person having the right of legal entry to the building.

An emergency warning and intercom system complying, where applicable, with AS 1670.4 must be installed—

1. in a building with an effective height of more than 25 m; and
2. in a Class 3 building having a rise in storeys of more than 2 and used as—
   1. the residential part of a primary or secondary school; or
   2. accommodation for the aged, children or people with a disability; and
3. in a Class 3 building used as a residential care building, except that the system—
   1. must be arranged to provide a warning for occupants; and
   2. in areas used by the residents, may have its alarm adjusted in volume and content to minimise trauma consistent with the type and condition of residents; and
4. in a Class 9a building having a floor area of more than 1000 m² or a rise in storeys of more than 2, and the system—
   1. must be arranged to provide a warning for occupants; and
   2. in a ward area, may have its alarm adjusted in volume and content to minimise trauma consistent with the type and condition of patients; and
5. in a Class 9b building—
   1. used as a school and having a rise in storeys of more than 3; or
   2. used as a theatre, public hall, or the like, having a floor area more than 1000 m² or a rise in storeys of more than 2.