Illuminating The Vault: Lighting Requirements When The Vault Is Visible From Outside The Building

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Question:

I'm passing on a question that came to me from a subscriber. Any responses in addition to mine are welcome! My security officer writes: The OCC security regulation states at 21.3(b)(2) that the bank shall have "A lighting system for illuminating, during the hours of darkness, the area around the vault, if the vault is visible from outside the banking office." Does this mean that regular lighting should be supplemented with emergency lighting that would illuminate the front of the vault during a power outage? The regulation doesn't differentiate between having power and not having power. The loss of power isn't specifically mentioned in the regulation.Do you have any feel for what the industry standard is in this situation? Has anyone addressed, or found the need to address this issue in the past?

Answer:

The intent of the regulation is very clear. A light is to be on the vault. End of intent. The excuse of no power is not an excuse! You should have back-up emergency lighting on the vault in case of power failure. I'm hoping that others who have addressed this problem will add their opinions to mine.

First published on BankersOnline.com 12/3/01