EMERGENCY LIGHT TESTING

Essential Emergency Light Checks for Safety

Emergency lights, or emergency lighting, are crucial for providing illumination of exits and standby lighting during power outages, accidents, or fires, especially when mains power fails, ensuring compliance with building regulations. All commercial buildings, HMOs, factories, and warehouses must have emergency lighting, as mandated by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which requires annual testing by a responsible person and a qualified engineer.

Regular maintenance, testing, and inspection of batteries by a responsible person ensure safe evacuation routes. At PTS Compliance, we specialise in emergency lighting checks, ensuring all systems function correctly. Our NICEIC accredited engineers provide nationwide services for various settings, including schools, offices, and retail premises. Our services include ensuring emergency lights remain operational even when mains power fails:

• Luminaire duration testing
• Cleaning of diffusers
• Battery charging functional check
• Labelling of luminaires
• Supply of test results/log books
• Supply and fitting of emergency exit signs, emergency lighting, and batteries
• Advice on improvements and recommendations for emergency lighting
• Insurance approved certification

Emergency light testing and inspection, including standby lighting, can be scheduled as a one-off compliance check or part of an ongoing programme with a responsible person overseeing the process. We also provide remedial works, maintenance, and necessary certifications to meet building regulations, ensuring that your emergency lighting system is always connected to mains power.

Insurance Approved Certification

Authorised certification is a legal requirement for most businesses and building types, including HMOs. After a successful test, our engineer, as the responsible person, records the results in your log book, demonstrating compliance and ensuring you meet all regulatory standards. This log book serves as crucial evidence in case of any legal challenges or insurance claims. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive report detailing the condition and illumination of your emergency lighting system and any recommended improvements. To make compliance easier, we also remind you when it’s time to re-certify, offering our assistance to ensure your emergency lighting remains fully operational and up to code.

How Often Should Emergency Lights be Serviced

Emergency lighting checks should be conducted monthly or weekly by a responsible person. This involves a short functional test, as per BS EN 50172:2004 / BS5266-8:2004, and should be recorded in your log book for maintenance purposes. An annual 1 or 3 hour drain down test is then required to be carried out by a qualified engineer to ensure that the batteries and mains power are functioning properly. We can advise whether you need a 1 or 3 hour service when we speak with you.

Why Do You Need To Check Your Emergency Lights?

Adhering to BS5266-1 standards requires annual testing of emergency lighting. We work with your team to ensure compliance, performing monthly checks to prevent surprises and complete illumination failures. Our qualified engineers can also conduct other safety tests during the same appointment, including standby lighting checks.

In case of failures, PTS Compliance offers free, no-obligation quotations for resolving issues, including emergency lighting, and provides ongoing support and advice.