Across Europe, the same standards form the technical basis of emergency lighting: EN 1838 for lighting performance, EN 50172 for operation and testing, EN 60598-2-22 for the luminaires, EN 62034 for automatic test systems and ISO 7010 for safety signs. Whether and to what extent emergency lighting is required, however, is decided by each country through its building, fire safety and workplace legislation. Anyone operating buildings in several countries therefore needs both: the common standard and the national requirements.
How is the regulatory framework structured in Europe?
The rules for emergency lighting work on three levels:
- EU directives set minimum objectives for health and safety at work. They do not apply directly but are transposed into national law.
- European standards (EN) describe how emergency lighting is designed, operated and tested. National standards bodies adopt them unchanged, for example as DIN EN, ÖVE/ÖNORM EN, SN EN, NEN-EN, NBN EN or NF EN.
- National law, meaning building codes, fire safety regulations, workplace legislation and electrical installation standards, decides in which buildings emergency lighting is mandatory, how long it must operate and who tests it and how often.
Standards are not laws in themselves. They become binding when laws, regulations, building permits or contracts refer to them, or because they are recognised as the state of the art.
Which EU directives concern emergency lighting?
| Directive | Relevance to emergency lighting |
|---|---|
| Workplace Directive 89/654/EEC | Minimum requirements for workplaces; emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity |
| Safety Signs Directive 92/58/EEC | Minimum requirements for safety and health signs at work, including escape signs |
Both directives are minimum standards. Member States may set stricter requirements, and many do. Germany, for example, transposes them through its Workplace Ordinance (Arbeitsstättenverordnung) and the technical rules ASR A2.3 and ASR A1.3.
Which European standards apply everywhere?
| Standard | Scope |
|---|---|
| EN 1838 | Lighting requirements: illuminance, uniformity, response times, minimum duration, visibility of safety signs |
| EN 50172 | Design, operation and testing of emergency escape lighting systems, including test intervals and logbook |
| EN 60598-2-22 | Safety requirements for luminaires for emergency lighting (product standard) |
| EN 62034 | Automatic test systems for battery-powered emergency escape lighting |
| ISO 7010 (as EN ISO 7010) | Graphical design of safety signs, including the green escape signs |
The well-known values come from EN 1838: at least 1 lux on the centre line of escape routes up to 2 m wide, at least 0.5 lux for open-area (anti-panic) lighting, at least 10 % of normal illuminance but no less than 15 lux for high-risk task areas, and a minimum duration of one hour. Details are covered in Emergency lighting illuminance and Emergency lighting standards.
What are the national specifics?
The overview lists the main national frameworks for orientation. It is deliberately general, because editions change and many requirements depend on use, size and region.
| Country | Key national frameworks (examples) | Specifics |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Workplace Ordinance with ASR A2.3 and ASR A3.4, state building codes and special building ordinances, DIN VDE V 0108-100-1, DIN VDE 0100-560 | Requirements follow from the risk assessment, building law and fire safety concept; special-use buildings are inspected periodically by approved experts depending on state law |
| Austria | Workplace Ordinance (AStV), OIB Guideline 2 (fire protection) and the federal states' building codes, ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8002, TRVB E 102 | E 8002 covers safety power supplies in buildings for large gatherings of people; TRVB E 102 deals with escape route orientation lighting |
| Switzerland | VKF/AEAI fire protection regulations with a dedicated guideline on escape route signage, safety lighting and safety power supply; enforced by the cantons | Not an EU member, but adopts EN standards as SN EN; usually the cantonal fire authorities or building insurers are responsible |
| Netherlands | Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving (Bbl, successor to the Bouwbesluit 2012 since 2024), NEN-EN 1838, NEN-EN 50172, NEN 1010 | Building-law requirements for escape route lighting and signage in the Bbl, technical execution via the NEN-EN standards; workplace safety via the Arbobesluit |
| Belgium | Royal Decree on basic fire prevention standards, Code on Well-being at Work, AREI/RGIE, NBN EN 1838, NBN EN 50172 | Regional and municipal fire safety conditions apply on top; the fire service is often involved in permits and inspections |
| Luxembourg | Requirements of the labour inspectorate ITM, fire safety requirements of CGDIS, EN standards | Requirements are often laid down in the operating permit (commodo-incommodo) |
| France | Code du travail and related decrees for workplaces, fire safety regulations for buildings open to the public (ERP), NF standards for emergency luminaires | Distinct system of self-contained emergency units (BAES) and partly lumen-based design rules; conformity with French product standards is frequently required |
Note: This table is not legal advice and does not replace a case-by-case assessment. What counts is the current edition of the national regulations, the building permit or fire safety concept and the requirements of the locally competent authority.
What does this mean for operators with sites in several countries?
If you run shops, hotels, offices or warehouses in several countries, you can standardise a lot, but not everything:
- Can be standardised: lighting design to EN 1838, luminaires to EN 60598-2-22, safety signs to ISO 7010, testing principle to EN 50172 and automatic testing to EN 62034.
- Must be clarified nationally: whether emergency lighting is required, the required duration (often longer than the one-hour minimum, for example three hours), the operating mode of exit signs, inspections by experts or authorities, logbook requirements and the qualifications of testers.
- Must be checked locally: conditions in the building permit, fire safety concept or operating permit that go beyond general law.
A uniform luminaire system with automatic self-testing and a digital logbook makes this easier: tests run the same way everywhere, reports are available centrally and can be prepared for authorities or inspectors country by country. See Self-testing emergency lights and Emergency lighting logbook.
Are escape signs the same everywhere?
Largely, yes. Escape signs to ISO 7010, a green pictogram showing a running person and a door, with a direction arrow where needed, are the recognised standard in the EU and are increasingly replacing older national signs. Older signs can still be found in existing buildings; whether they must be replaced depends on national transition rules and the risk assessment. What matters is not to mix different sign systems within one building. More in Exit sign viewing distance.
Does NOTLUX deliver outside Germany?
Yes. NOTLUX supplies, installs and maintains emergency lighting across Europe. The Series 19 luminaires run automatic self-tests to EN 50172 and EN 62034, and the results are documented via app in the digital logbook. The national requirements for each site are recorded during the on-site survey and taken into account in the design.
Frequently asked questions
Does EN 1838 apply throughout Europe?
EN 1838 is a European standard adopted as a national standard in all CEN member countries, for example as DIN EN 1838 in Germany or NEN-EN 1838 in the Netherlands. Whether its application is mandatory follows from national law and the requirements for the specific building.
Is the German DIN VDE V 0108-100-1 valid in other countries?
No. It is a German pre-standard that supplements the European standards for the German market. Other countries have their own supplementary frameworks, such as ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8002 in Austria or the VKF/AEAI fire protection guidelines in Switzerland.
How long must emergency lighting operate in Europe?
EN 1838 requires at least one hour for escape routes. Many national building and fire safety regulations require longer durations for certain buildings, often three hours. The requirement for the specific building is decisive.
What is a BAES?
BAES stands for "Bloc Autonome d'Éclairage de Sécurité" and refers in France to a self-contained emergency luminaire with its own battery. BAES are subject to French product standards and rules that differ in detail from other countries. If you are planning in France, agree the requirements in advance with a specialist designer or inspection body.
Do testing intervals differ between countries?
EN 50172 sets out the basic principle of regular function tests and an annual full-duration test. Specific intervals, additional expert inspections and documentation duties, however, are set nationally. The German intervals are covered in Testing intervals.
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