Emergency lighting testing
Monthly function tests and an annual full-duration test to BS 5266-1, so escape routes stay lit if the mains supply fails.
Why it matters
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must keep emergency escape lighting in working order. BS 5266-1 sets the testing regime: a short function test each month and a full-duration test, usually three hours, once a year to prove every fitting lasts as long as it's rated for.
ILUX tests every fitting on the asset register against that schedule, not a sample, and flags anything running short of its rated duration.
What's included
- Monthly function test of every emergency luminaire and exit sign
- Annual full-duration discharge test to confirm rated battery life
- Check of charging circuits and self-test indicators where fitted
- Check of illuminance and coverage against escape route drawings
- Replacement of failed lamps, batteries or fittings, priced before work starts
- Certificate of test results, logged against the asset register for each site
A fitting that fails the annual test is flagged and replaced as a priority, since it's the one most likely to matter in an actual power failure.
Testing proves the system works when it matters.
See how we keep the test log, certificates and fire risk assessment aligned so escape route lighting is never in question.
How it fits a multi-site contract
Emergency lighting testing usually runs alongside the fire alarm and extinguisher visit, so one engineer covers escape route safety in a single trip. New sites are surveyed first so the fitting count and rated duration are known before testing starts.
Common questions.
Do we need to run the monthly test ourselves?
Some sites do a brief function check monthly and let us handle it; either way, the full annual discharge test needs a competent engineer and that's always on us.
What happens during the three-hour test?
Fittings run on battery for the full rated duration, usually three hours, to confirm they still hold charge. We schedule it for a time that doesn't affect the site.
Can this be combined with a lighting upgrade?
Yes. Where fittings are due for replacement anyway, we can pair testing with an emergency lighting installation to bring the system up to standard.
Every site, in date.
Send us your sites and current test dates and we'll show you what one schedule looks like.