Emergency Lighting & Exit Signs in Quebec

A power failure, a fire, a smoke-filled corridor: when the lights go out, the people in your building must find the exit without hesitating. That is the purpose of exit and emergency lighting. In Quebec, as across Canada, a commercial building must have both, and keep them working. This guide explains the emergency lighting requirements in plain language: why, where, which products (battery units, remote head emergency lights, running man signs, combos), how emergency light testing works, and the mistakes inspectors see most often.

Why emergency lighting is required

Emergency lighting has one job: letting people leave the building safely when the normal lighting fails. The building code sets what must be installed when a building is built, enlarged or renovated; fire prevention regulations say how it must be maintained once occupied. In Quebec, the fire prevention service or the authority having jurisdiction inspects both, and a dead battery, a missing sign or a dark exit face is a deficiency.

Practically every building that is not a single-family home is concerned: stores, restaurants, offices, warehouses, clinics, daycares, apartment buildings, parking garages. Wherever customers or employees circulate, you need exit and emergency lighting.

One caveat: this is the general picture. Fixture count, floor light level, backup duration and test schedule depend on your building type, its occupancy and the code in force; confirm your plan with a licensed electrician and your fire prevention service before you buy.

Where emergency lighting is needed

Emergency lighting covers the path of egress: every route from any point in the building to the outside. In a typical commercial building:

• Exits and exit doors, inside and immediately outside.
• Corridors leading to the exits.
• Stairwells, landings and ramps.
• Open floor areas: sales floors, dining rooms, open-plan offices.
• Service rooms: electrical, mechanical and boiler rooms.
• Indoor and underground parking garages.

Exit signs go above or beside every exit door and anywhere the way out is not obvious (a corridor junction, a stairway, a turn), with arrows when the sign points the way.

The equipment: what each product does

Battery unit (emergency lighting unit)

The battery unit is the heart of the system: a wall- or ceiling-mounted box holding a battery, a charger and, usually, two adjustable LED heads that switch on by themselves when the power fails. Units range from compact 2 W dual-head models in thermoplastic housings to steel units with 36 W, 72 W, 140 W, 150 W, 275 W and 320 W batteries; a larger battery feeds more remote heads, for longer.

Remote heads

A remote head emergency light has no battery of its own. Wired to a battery unit's output, it goes where the unit cannot reach: around a corner, down a long corridor, outside an exit door. Heads come single or double, 2 W, 3 W, 5 W or 7 W per lamp (up to 14 W for a double), white or black, with weatherproof versions for outdoors, and run on low-voltage DC, typically 6-24 V DC.

Exit signs: EXIT text or the green running man

Two kinds coexist in Quebec. The traditional red sign shows the word EXIT or SORTIE.The running man sign is a green pictogram of a figure running toward a door, with no text, adopted in recent construction and major renovations across Canada because it needs no language. They come in steel, thermoplastic (ABS) or edge-lit glass, draw 1 W to 5 W, single or double face, with arrows as needed.

A self-powered sign carries its own battery. An AC-only or UDC sign (6-24 V DC input) has none: a nearby battery unit feeds it, like a remote head, so there is one battery to maintain instead of several. Many signs accept 120-347 V AC or 6-24 V DC on the same unit.

Combo units

A combo puts a running man sign and two emergency heads in one housing, on one battery: one fixture, one circuit, one test per exit door. Indoor and weatherproof versions exist, with 2 x 1 W to 2 x 5 W heads and 36 W battery packs on the larger models.

Outdoor and wet-location models

Exterior exit doors, loading docks, covered parking and cold rooms need fixtures rated for wet locations: look for "wet location", "weatherproof" or an IP rating (one double remote head in the range is IP66). An indoor housing will not survive a Quebec winter outside.

Voltage: 120/347 V on the line side, 12/24 V on the heads

Quebec commercial buildings are often wired at 347 V for lighting, not only 120 V, so nearly all battery units, signs and combos sold in Canada are rated 120-347 V universal input. A few compact models are 120-277 V; check the label if your panel is 347 V.

On the output side, battery units feed their remote heads in low-voltage DC, usually 6 V, 12 V or 24 V, and most heads accept the full 6-24 V DC span. Replacement batteries follow the same logic (6 V 6 Ah for a 36 W unit, 12 V 7 Ah for 72 W, 12 V 12 Ah for 140 W and 275 W): sealed lead-acid on the larger units, nickel-cadmium (NiCd) on most signs and compact units.

How to choose: a practical method

• Walk the egress path. From the farthest point of the building, walk to each exit and note every change of direction, door, stair and dark spot; each needs light or a sign.
• Count the heads first, then size the battery. Add up the wattage of every head a unit will feed, including its own two: a 36 W unit driving 2 x 2 W heads has room for remote heads; the same unit driving eight does not.
• Mind the mounting height. High heads cover more floor but are harder to test; heads near door height light the threshold, where people actually walk.
• Pick the housing for the room. Steel in warehouses, workshops and garages; thermoplastic in offices, shops and clinics; edge-lit glass or black housings where appearance counts. Weatherproof outside, always.
• Prefer self-diagnostic units. An automatic self-test flags a fault with an indicator, so you catch a dying battery sooner.

Maintenance and emergency light testing

Installing is half the job; proving it still works is the other half. Emergency light testing is normally required by fire prevention regulations; the practices below are what inspectors generally expect.

• Short functional test. Press the test button on each unit and sign; the heads must light fully from the battery. Common practice: monthly, logged.
• Full-duration test. Common practice: once a year, run each unit for its full rated duration and replace any battery that fades early.
• Keep a logbook. Date, location, result, action taken, initials. The inspector will ask for it.
• Replace batteries on schedule. Batteries age even unused; follow the manufacturer's data sheet for preventive replacement.
• Clean and aim. A dusty lens, a head knocked out of position or boxes stacked in front of a sign are deficiencies.

Frequent mistakes

• An exit sign with a dark face, or one dead face on a double-face sign.
• Indoor units installed outside, above an exterior door.
• Remote heads on a battery unit too small for the total load, or a 12 V head on a 24 V output.
• A battery unit plugged into a receptacle controlled by a switch or a timer, so it never charges.
• A storage rack, a poster or a new partition blocking the view of the sign.

Checklist for a business

• Every exit door has an illuminated sign, visible from the approach; every change of direction has a sign with an arrow.
• Corridors, stairs, open areas, service rooms and the parking garage have emergency heads.
• Exterior exit doors have wet-location fixtures.
• All units are rated for the building voltage (120 V or 347 V), and remote heads match their unit.
• The test-button check is logged this month; the full-duration test is logged this year.
• The plan has been reviewed by a licensed electrician and the fire prevention service.

Browse LED emergency lighting for battery units, remote heads and combos, and LED exit signs for running man signs with arrows. For complete systems sharing one battery format, see the ARANI and CSC LED emergency ranges.

FAQ

Is emergency lighting mandatory in a small store or restaurant?

In general, yes: any building where the public or employees circulate must let them reach an exit when the power fails. Your fire prevention service and electrician confirm the quantity and type of fixtures.

Exit sign requirements Canada: EXIT text or running man?

Both formats exist in older buildings; the green running man pictogram is the one adopted for recent construction and major renovations across Canada. Choose the running man for a new installation, and ask your inspector before replacing a sign in an older building.

What is the difference between an exit sign and an emergency light?

The exit sign shows where the exit is; the emergency light lights the path to reach it. A combo does both in one housing; most buildings need both along the path of egress.

How often should emergency light testing be done?

A common practice is a short test-button check every month and a full-duration test once a year, each logged with date, location and result. Your electrician or inspector confirms the frequency that applies to your building.

Can I connect remote heads to any battery unit?

No. The head's voltage range (for example 6-24 V DC) must match the unit's output, and the total head wattage must stay within the unit's capacity, or the backup duration drops.