Emergency lighting is an often-overlooked but critically important element of fire safety in commercial and public buildings. If a fire or power failure occurs, emergency lighting guides occupants safely to exits. Without it, evacuation in darkness can lead to injuries and fatalities. UK law requires most commercial premises to have adequate emergency lighting — and to test it regularly.
Which Premises Need Emergency Lighting?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the 'responsible person' in any non-domestic premises to assess and manage fire safety, including emergency lighting. This applies to offices, shops, restaurants, hotels, schools, warehouses, factories, and any premises accessible to the public or used as a workplace.
BS 5266: The Emergency Lighting Standard
BS 5266 is the British Standard for emergency lighting. It sets out requirements for the design, installation, testing, and maintenance of emergency lighting systems. All testing must be documented in an emergency lighting log, which must be available for inspection by fire authorities.
How Often Must Emergency Lighting Be Tested?
- Monthly: Short functional test — confirm each luminaire illuminates and switches to emergency mode
- 6-Monthly: 1-hour discharge test — confirm battery can sustain full operation for at least 1 hour
- Annual: Full 3-hour discharge test — confirm the entire system can sustain operation for the required duration
What Happens If Emergency Lighting Fails a Test?
Failed luminaires or units must be repaired or replaced before the next test. Depending on the number and location of failed units, the building's evacuation plan may need to be reviewed and adjusted. Persistent failures of an emergency lighting system may indicate a systemic fault requiring specialist investigation.
Self-Testing Emergency Lighting Systems
Modern self-testing emergency lighting systems can automate monthly and annual testing, logging results electronically. While these systems can reduce manual testing burden, they still require professional inspection and certification to satisfy BS 5266 and fire safety legislation. Our engineers can work with both traditional and self-testing systems.
Emergency Lighting Certificates
MES PAT Testing Ltd provides BS 5266-compliant certificates for all emergency lighting testing. These certificates are accepted by fire risk assessors, insurance companies, and fire authority inspectors. We also maintain emergency lighting logbooks for your premises and provide reminders when testing is due.
