How to test emergency lighting (UK)

Helpful video reference. We use Quantum Compliance's UK tutorial "How to test Emergency Lighting" as the video reference here. Quantum Compliance is a UK compliance and facilities management company, and their walkthrough covers the key-switch test method, what to look for and how to log the result -- all in a UK context under BS 5266-1.

1. Understand what you have

Emergency lighting broadly falls into two types. Non-maintained fittings only come on when the mains fails; you will not notice them on a normal day. Maintained fittings (common in commercial and public areas) are on all the time and switch to battery if the mains goes.

Both types must be tested the same way. The test simulates a mains failure so the fitting has to prove it can run on battery. Most modern fittings have a rated duration of 1 hour; older systems to the 1992 edition of BS 5266 specified 3 hours.

Exit signs are also emergency luminaires. They need to be checked at every test, not just the ceiling fittings.

2. Check the logbook first

Every building with emergency lighting should have a logbook or a site register. Flip to the last entry. If the monthly test is overdue, note that in your records before starting -- do not backdate an entry.

The logbook needs to go with the building when it changes hands, so keep it somewhere permanent: a folder in the meter cupboard or in the managing agent's file. If there is no logbook at all, start one now. A simple ruled notebook with a date column, a result column and a signature column is sufficient.

3. Walk the escape routes

Before running the test, walk every escape route and count the fittings. You should know how many there are before you start so you can spot a fitting that has failed to illuminate once the test is running. Pay attention to stairwells, corridor changes of direction, and the area around each final exit door. Those are the highest-risk points if a fitting fails.

Locate the test point for each fitting or zone. Most systems have a key switch on each luminaire or a central test key for the whole circuit. Some older installations use a push-button on the fitting itself.

4. Monthly functional test

Turn the key switch to test, or press the test button, to cut the mains supply to the fitting. Each emergency luminaire should illuminate within 5 seconds. Hold the test for long enough to confirm every lamp is working -- typically about 20--30 seconds. You are not discharging the battery deeply in this test, just confirming the lamp comes on.

Walk the route while the fittings are on battery. Note any fitting that stays dark, flickers, or illuminates only one lamp where two are fitted. Exit signs: check that the green arrow or legend is clearly legible and not faded.

Restore the mains supply. The fittings should switch back to mains mode and begin recharging. A charging indicator light (usually amber or green on the fitting face) confirms the charger is working.

5. Log the result immediately

Write the date, time, your name, the number of fittings tested, and whether any failed. If a fitting failed, record its location specifically enough that another person could find it: "corridor B, above fire exit door, second fitting from left" is more useful than "near fire exit".

If you had any failures, note what action was taken or planned and by when. A certificate of remedial work should be filed alongside the logbook entry once the repair is done.

6. Annual duration test

Once a year, the fittings must run on battery for their full rated duration without the lamps dimming below the minimum luminance required by BS 5266-1 (at least 1 lux on the centreline of the escape route and at least 0.5 lux across the width).

Pick a time when the building can be safely evacuated or when the test can be managed floor by floor. Trigger the test using the key switch or by temporarily isolating the mains circuit for that section. Time it. For a 1-hour rated system, the fittings must be visibly maintaining output after the full hour. For a 3-hour system, you are there for three hours.

At the end of the test, restore the mains and allow a full recharge -- usually 24 hours -- before the next test. Record the duration test in the logbook with a more detailed entry: date, duration, names of testers, any failures and remediation required.

When to call us

Testing is within reach of any responsible person with the key and a logbook. Faults are not. If a fitting fails its monthly check and a replacement lamp does not fix it, an electrician needs to look at the battery, the charger circuit or the wiring. Richard covers HMO and small commercial work across east Kent including Sandwich, Deal, Dover and the surrounding villages.