Emergency Lighting

Emergency lighting is required in all premises where people are employed. It is a Life Safety System and is required to assist the occupants in the event of an emergency. It will assist in the evacuation of premises in the event of a power failure.

In many cases Emergency Lighting is wrongly regarded as a fit and forget product, whereas it should be subject to frequent testing.

All employers, Landlords or occupiers have a duty under the "Fire Precaution (Workplace) Regulations 1999" to carry out a risk assessment to ensure their premises and activities are able to facilitate  safe escape in the event of an emergency.

The BS5266 regulation defines the requirements for the correct installation of Emergency Lighting. Compliance with this standard will ensure that your premises, meet the requirement of the "Fire Precaution (Workplace) Regulations 1999".

BFE Electrical Testing Ltd have the necessary experience to provide your organisation with a regular maintenance and testing service to ensure that your emergency lighting complies with BS5266-1 regulations.

BS5266-1 sets out the requirements for continued user checks and routine inspection and tests. These tests and inspections should be carried out at the following intervals:

Daily - The provider/manager must ensure that an inspection is carried out daily to ascertain that:

• §  An indicator lamp or device on each self-contained luminaire indicates normal operation.
• §  The main control and indicating panel of each central battery system indicates normal operation (where applicable).
• §  Any fault recorded on the previous day has received attention.
• §  Any defects must be reported immediately, entered in the Fire Precautions Register and remedial action taken. (Note, it is not necessary to record the daily check in the Fire Precautions Register when no defects are found)

Monthly - At monthly intervals, the provider/manager will test self-contained luminaires by simulating a failure of the normal lighting supply for sufficient time to allow all luminaires to be checked for proper function.

• §  Complete Daily test as above
• §  Switch off normal mains supply to check each emergency light operates from the battery supply - complete this test for a minimum of 45 minutes.
• §  Details of the test should be recorded in the Fire Precautions Register.

This should only be carried out where test facilities exist. It should never be necessary to operate any main isolation switch(s). Advice should be obtained from the electrical engineer.

Where it is impossible to carry out a user test on the system, it should be either replaced with a system fully conforming to the current British Standard or more frequent tests carried out by a competent electrical engineer.

Details of the test should be recorded in the Fire Precautions Register.

Six Monthly Test - The Provider/manager should test luminaires by simulating a failure of the normal lighting supply for sufficient time to allow all luminaries to be checked for proper function.

• §  Complete Daily test as above.
• §  Switch off normal mains supply to check each emergency light operates from the battery supply - complete this test for a minimum of 1 hour.
• §  Details of the test should be recorded in the Fire Precautions Register.

Third Anniversary of the installation - The provider/manager should test luminaries by simulation a failure of the normal lighting supply for sufficient time to allow luminaries to be checked for proper function.

• §  Complete Daily test as above
• §  Switch off normal mains supply to check each emergency light operates from the battery supply - complete this test for a minimum of 3 hours
• §  Details of the test should be recorded in the Fire Precautions Register.

Annual Test Thereafter - The provider/manager should ensure that a competent electrical engineer carries out an annual test of the emergency lighting system. The engineer's certificate of testing should be held in the Fire Precaution Register.

• §  Complete Daily test as above
• §  Switch off normal mains supply to check each emergency light operates from the battery supply - complete this test for a minimum of 3 hours
• §  Details of the test should be recorded in the Fire Precautions Register.

Following a periodic inspection of your Emergency Lighting Installation, BFE Electrical Testing Ltd will provide a certificate that will detail the specific nature of the inspection along with any departures from BS5266 that may exist.

BS5266 requires that an up to date log book be kept with details of the type of Emergency Lighting Installation along with all events and checks to be logged. Where no log book is present BFE Electrical Testing Ltd can supply a log book. All further inspections will then be recorded within the 'Events' section of the log book.

Please note: Regulations have undergone a number of changes since their introduction, keeping up to date with regulations is important and failure to do so may mean that your installation does not comply. The above information is for reference purposes only and any or all of the details may change. Please refer to current Regulations and Guidelines.