One of the most common red tag items near final inspection occurs when the inspector is called out for an emergency lighting test on the unit equipment.

“Unit Equipment” includes those types of luminaires that only illuminate upon loss of normal power. Bug eye or frog eye type fixtures are perfect examples of unit equipment. Some also include an illuminated exit sign.

Unit Equipment luminaires have a rechargeable battery, a battery charger, integral lamps or remote lamps and a UL 924 relay that energizes the lamps when the normal power is lost.

Unit equipment is usually shipped to the job site with the internal battery leads unplugged. At some time after installation but before the final inspection is scheduled, the electrician needs to go from room to room and open each battery equipped emergency luminaire to plug in the battery so it can start charging in preparation for the final inspection. This is often overlooked and turns into an embarrassing failed inspection.

Below is a preview of the NEC^® (NFPA 70). See the actual NEC^® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on their link to free access to the edition of the NEC^® being enforced.

NEC 700.12(I) Unit Equipment.

(1) Components of Unit Equipment. Individual unit equipment for emergency illumination shall consist of the following:

(1) A rechargeable battery

(2) A battery charging means

(3) Provisions for one or more lamps mounted on the equipment, or shall be permitted to have terminals for remote lamps, or both

(4) A relaying device arranged to energize the lamps automatically upon failure of the supply to the unit equipment