In England, the responsible person for a non-domestic building, or the shared parts of flats and HMOs, must keep emergency lighting working under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. BS 5266-1 sets the usual routine: a short function test every month and a full rated-duration test, usually three hours, once a year. Every test, fault and repair goes in a logbook. Staff can often do the monthly test; the annual test needs more planning.
What does the law say about emergency lighting?
The law requires escape routes to be lit when the power fails, and the lighting to be maintained. The detail of how comes from a British Standard.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to almost all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including the common parts of blocks of flats and HMOs. It requires emergency routes and exits that need lighting to have emergency lighting of adequate intensity, and requires fire safety equipment to be kept in efficient working order and good repair. Your fire risk assessment should say where emergency lighting is needed.
The Order doesn't list test intervals. BS 5266-1, the code of practice for emergency lighting, does, and following it is the usual way to show you have met the duty. Scotland has its own rules under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. This is a summary, not legal advice; GOV.UK and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service publish guidance.
Who is the responsible person for emergency lighting?
Usually the employer, or whoever controls the premises: the owner, the occupier, a landlord or a managing agent. In shared buildings there may be several, each responsible for the parts they control.
A business renting a whole unit is normally responsible for its own emergency lighting. In a multi-let building, the landlord or managing agent usually covers corridors, stairs and other shared areas, while each tenant covers their own space. The lease should say who maintains what. If it is unclear, agree it in writing, because the fire service will expect someone to hold the records.
The responsible person can hand the testing to staff or a contractor, but the duty stays with them. Delegating the work does not delegate the responsibility.
What happens in the monthly and annual tests?
The monthly test proves every fitting switches to battery. The annual test proves the batteries last their full rated time.
- Monthly function test
- Simulate a mains failure briefly, usually with a test key switch; check every fitting and exit sign lights.
- Keep it short
- Long enough to see each lamp working, short enough not to drain batteries.
- Annual duration test
- Run on battery for the full rated duration, usually 3 hours, sometimes 1 hour.
- Check at the end
- Every fitting must still be lit when the duration ends; any that dim or go out fail.
- After every test
- Restore power, check charge indicators are on, and log the result.
When is the safest time to do the annual test?
When the building is empty or the risk is low, because the batteries will be flat afterwards. Recharging commonly takes up to 24 hours, and during that time the lights may not cover a real power cut.
For most offices and shops this means a test after closing, with the building left unoccupied overnight. Where that isn't possible, such as a block of flats or premises that are always occupied, a common approach is to test alternate fittings on different occasions, so part of the route stays covered while the rest recharges. Your fire risk assessment should agree with whichever approach you use. We plan annual tests out of hours where we can, within our working day of 8am to 8pm.
What should go in an emergency lighting logbook?
A logbook is your evidence. Without it, a test that was done looks the same as one that wasn't. Keep it on site and available to the fire service.
- Installation details
- Commissioning certificate, a plan or list of fittings, their type and rated duration.
- Every test
- Date, monthly or annual, who did it, and the result for each fitting.
- Faults found
- Which fitting, what was wrong, and the date it was reported.
- Repairs
- What was done, by whom, and when, with the retest result.
- Changes
- Fittings added, moved or removed, for example after a refit.
Do self-test emergency lights still need checking?
Yes. Self-test fittings run the monthly and annual tests automatically, but someone still has to look at the results, act on faults and keep records.
Most self-test fittings show their status with a small indicator light, often green for healthy and a flashing or different colour for a battery, lamp or charge fault. The codes vary by manufacturer, so keep the maker's guide with the logbook. Larger sites may have an addressable system that reports to a central panel or software, which makes record-keeping much easier.
A person should still walk the building regularly to check every indicator, confirm fittings are present and undamaged, and log what they find. Self-test also can't tell you that a fitting has been blocked by shelving or that a new partition has left a corridor in the dark. It saves labour; it doesn't remove the duty.
What fails most often in emergency lighting?
Batteries, by a long way. A fitting can pass every monthly test for years and then fail the annual test because the battery no longer holds its charge for the full duration.
Many emergency batteries are expected to last a few years, with manufacturers often suggesting replacement around the four-year mark for older nickel types; lithium types tend to last longer. Heat shortens life, so fittings in kitchens, boiler rooms and above warm ceilings fail sooner.
- Batteries
- Pass the monthly test, fail the three-hour test.
- No charge
- Charge light off, often because the permanent supply was disconnected during other work.
- Wrong wiring after a refit
- Fitting wired to the switched light circuit, so it discharges every night.
- Failed lamps or LEDs
- Fitting switches over but gives little or no light.
- Damaged or missing fittings
- Knocked, removed or covered during a refit and never replaced.
- Obscured signs
- Exit signs hidden behind displays, banners or stock.
Should I do the monthly test myself or have it done?
Either is acceptable, as long as the person is competent and the result is logged. The right choice depends on your building, your staff and how many fittings you have.
- Doing it yourself
- Cheap and quick on small sites. Needs a trained person, a test key and discipline.
- Having it done
- Consistent records and faults fixed on the same visit. Costs a planned visit each time.
- A common middle way
- Staff do monthly tests; an electrician does the annual test and repairs.
- Self-test fittings
- Reduce staff time; someone still checks indicators and logs results.
What do landlords of HMOs and communal areas need to know?
If you let an HMO or own a building with shared parts, the Fire Safety Order usually applies to those shared areas, and you are likely to be the responsible person for them.
Whether an HMO needs emergency lighting depends on the fire risk assessment. National housing fire safety guidance generally expects it where escape routes are long, complex or have no natural light, and often not in small shared houses with a simple route out. If your HMO is licensed, the licence conditions from Leicester City Council, or your local council, may set specific requirements, so check them.
For blocks of flats, the corridors, stairs and entrance halls are the landlord's or managing agent's responsibility, not the leaseholders'. Monthly and annual tests apply in the same way, and because the building is always occupied, the annual test needs careful planning. Keep the logbook with your other fire safety records, alongside your EICR.
Questions
Is emergency lighting required in every business?
Not in every space, but most premises with people working or visiting need it on escape routes. Your fire risk assessment decides where. Very small premises with good daylight and a short, obvious route out may need little or none.
What's the difference between maintained and non-maintained emergency lights?
A maintained fitting is lit all the time and stays lit when the power fails, common for exit signs in public areas. A non-maintained fitting only lights when the normal supply fails. Both need the same monthly and annual tests.
Can I replace an emergency light battery myself?
Only if you are competent to isolate the fitting safely and follow the maker's instructions. Use the correct replacement battery, log the change, and check the fitting passes a duration test once the new battery is fully charged.
Do emergency lights need testing after an LED upgrade?
Yes. Any refit that touches lighting circuits can disconnect the permanent supply emergency fittings need to charge. After the work, check every charge indicator and carry out a test, and update the logbook with any new or moved fittings.
What happens if emergency lighting isn't maintained?
The fire service can take enforcement action under the Fire Safety Order, from advice to formal notices and, in serious cases, prosecution. Your insurer may also question a claim. Outcomes depend on the circumstances, so check current guidance.
How long should emergency lights last on battery?
Most are rated for three hours, which is common where people may return to a building soon after an evacuation. Some are rated for one hour. The rated duration should be marked on the fitting or in the installation records.