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Schagen, 24 November 2025 – The European performance standard EN 1838:2024, effective as of December 2024, introduces stricter requirements for the maintenance of emergency lighting, including mandatory annual inspections and detailed logbooks. This creates a significant dilemma for distribution centres, data centres, and production environments that operate 24/7: How can they meet inspection requirements without interrupting operations? Lighting specialist Veko Lightsystems International introduces a solution to this challenge: Leon, a decentralised emergency lighting system that functions independently from the main lighting infrastructure. 

Maintenance dilemma in continuous operations

Emergency lighting is required by law under the Dutch Building Decree and Occupational Health and Safety Act. In traditional integrated systems, companies must shut down light lines and use aerial lifts, which can cause major disruption and costs in industrial environments like warehouses and logistics facilities. “Regular inspection of emergency lighting is, of course, essential for the safety of employees and visitors,” explains John Peters, Product Manager and Team Lead R&D at Veko Lightsystems. “Non-compliance can result in steep fines from the fire department, legal liability, or even rejection of the installation. So yes, inspections are justified. But forcing data centres or distribution centres to halt operations? That’s an unnecessary problem. With Leon, we offer safety and continuity in one.”

Stand-alone unit eliminates downtime risk

Leon, developed in collaboration with ELP (Emergency Lighting Power, specialist in emergency lighting batteries), decouples emergency and main lighting systems. This one-metre unit functions autonomously, delivering 500 lumens of output, sufficient for reliable emergency lighting in industrial settings. The key benefit: malfunctions or maintenance of emergency lighting no longer affect the regular lighting. And vice versa, emergency lighting continues to function even if the main system fails. This eliminates operational downtime during annual inspections and allows for quick servicing without lifts or shutdowns.

Two configurations for different applications

Leon is available in two optic versions, tailored to specific needs:

• Corridor optic (oval beam): Ideal for narrow spaces such as aisles, corridors, and escape routes in high-bay warehouses. Suitable up to 18 meters ceiling height.
• Wide optic (broad beam): Designed for open spaces like data centres, production areas, and loading docks. Suitable up to 6 meters ceiling height.

Leon supports DALI monitoring, allowing facility managers to centrally manage performance and receive automatic alerts in case of failure. The unit is backed by a five-year warranty.    

Compliance & Availability

The new EN 1838:2024 standard is already mandatory for new building permits in Belgium, and Dutch companies must comply with similar inspection requirements under the “Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving” (Bbl) since January 2024. Leon is available through Veko’s distribution channel and can be integrated into lighting designs via DIALux software.More information: https://www.veko.com/leon/