When a shopping centre in Sydney’s inner west was repeatedly outed for poor fire and safety standards, the story eventually hit the headlines in The Sydney Morning Herald, one of Australia’s most high-profile metropolitan newspapers.
It’s not the kind of thing property owners or managers can easily live down.
The problems identified by authorities in the popular shopping centre included the “operational capability of sprinkler pumps, faults in a fire indicator panel and an absence of fire exit signage in other parts of the centre.”
Ouch!
Luckily, there was no fire that prompted the audit, but if a fire did occur, even without casualties, you could expect the public to be unforgiving once such an audit came to light. Not to mention the property and management brand damage.
Thankfully, Australia has a reputation for having among the toughest fire safety standards in the world, and for good reason – and it’s paid off. Fire disasters are rare.
But behind this relatively good track record is a hefty responsibility that owners and managers must bear.
It’s the kind of care and concern that has propelled Elumen, an emergency lighting service provider, to think best in class at every stage of the process, which contributes to Australia’s safety record.
Whether through its technological excellence, ease of use, reliability, safety checks, or environmental credentials.
Co-founder of the Elumen’s parent company, WBS Technology, Simon Yu, in 2011, says it’s been these commitments that have helped the company gain such sensitive clients as Bankstown Hospital, Sydney Show Ground, Ultimo TAFE, Chatswood Interchange, and a range of aged care facilities in several states.
“We’ve put a lot of thinking into how to meet our obligations to the public, the property owner and manager and to our environmental commitments as well,” Yu says.
The company’s Elumen Self-Test luminaries rely on an intelligent onboard chip in each device and “an intuitive mobile app to automate testing, capture precise battery performance data, and generate fully compliant reports”, says the company’s Senior Software Engineer, Leo Huang.
For instance, the system self-tests every 60 days via an app, timed to be off-peak so customers or clients at the properties or facility don’t have to be disrupted.
But the company wanted to do more than make a failsafe emergency lighting system.
Environmental savings and gains
It’s also highly aware of the need for the built environment to reach net zero, and every bit of energy savings, both in operation and embodied carbon, helps.
With emergency lighting, by definition, needing to be constantly on, energy consumption can quickly add up.
In areas like lightwells where there is only light traffic, sensors can be programmed to be on very low lighting and then switch to full brightness when needed.
“This saves 64 per cent of energy,” Huang says.
Embodied carbon is another win.
The Self-Test luminaires system is wired into the same lighting circuit as standard lights, saving potentially hundreds of metres of emergency-only wiring.
Another embodied carbon saving comes from the chassis and LED electronics remaining in service until the end of life, and only the batteries are replaced.
There’s also no wastage in battery life or chance of misinterpreting the remaining life of the battery.
“At the end of each test of the system, the exact duration of the battery is recorded by the device’s chip and instantly generates a shareable PDF report formatted for inclusion in annual fire safety statements (AFSS).”
Digital commissioning records, test logs, and AFSS-ready reports are automatically compiled, eliminating the need for paper records
In the end, the Self-Test luminaries blend sustainability, safety and efficiency.
If you own or operate a public-facing facility, that’s the kind of three-point outcome you need – one that meets all your social, environmental and stakeholder needs.
