If your business or rental property has emergency lighting, keeping it properly tested and maintained isn't optional — it's a legal requirement. Yet it's one of the things that gets overlooked most often, particularly by smaller businesses that don't have a dedicated facilities team.
This guide explains what testing is required, how often it needs to happen and what the consequences are if it's not done.
Emergency lighting is only useful if it actually works when the power goes out. A fitting that looks fine on the ceiling might have a dead battery, a failed lamp or a faulty circuit — none of which you'd know about until it was too late.
Regular testing is the only way to confirm the system is operational. It also creates a written record that demonstrates compliance — something insurers, fire safety inspectors and local authorities can request at any time.
Legal requirement: Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for a premises must ensure emergency lighting is maintained in efficient working order. Failure to do so can result in enforcement notices, fines and — in serious cases — prosecution.
BS 5266-1 — the British Standard for emergency lighting — sets out three tiers of testing, each with a different frequency and purpose.
| Test | Frequency | Who Carries It Out | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flick test | Weekly | Responsible person / premises manager | A few seconds |
| Function test | Monthly | Responsible person / premises manager | Short duration (as per system) |
| Full duration test | Annual | Competent electrician | Full rated duration (typically 3 hours) |
The weekly test is a quick visual check to confirm all emergency luminaires are operational. It's typically done by whoever manages the premises day-to-day — you don't need an electrician for this one.
The key is keeping it brief — this test is not intended to drain the battery. A few seconds is enough to confirm the fitting responds to a simulated power failure.
The monthly test goes a step further. It simulates an actual mains power failure for a short period to confirm the batteries are charging and the luminaires can sustain the load.
Important: Any luminaire that fails to illuminate during a monthly test should be treated as a defect and repaired before the next test. A failed fitting means there is a gap in your escape route lighting.
The annual full duration test is the most thorough — and it must be carried out by a competent electrician. It verifies that the battery in each luminaire can sustain the system for its full rated period, which is typically three hours.
The annual test will temporarily leave the premises without mains-powered emergency lighting for several hours, so it's worth planning around quieter periods or outside of operating hours where possible.
Every test — weekly, monthly and annual — must be recorded in a logbook kept on the premises. The logbook should include:
If a fire safety inspection takes place, the logbook is one of the first things that will be checked. A complete, up-to-date logbook demonstrates that the responsible person is taking their obligations seriously.
The "responsible person" under the Fire Safety Order is typically the employer, building owner or managing agent — whoever has control of the premises. They are legally responsible for ensuring emergency lighting is installed, tested and maintained correctly, and for keeping the logbook up to date.
For HMOs and residential blocks, this responsibility falls to the landlord or managing agent.
We carry out emergency lighting installation and annual testing across Darlington, Teesside, Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland and surrounding areas. If you need a test certificate or you're unsure whether your system is compliant, get in touch.
We carry out annual full duration tests and issue certificates across Darlington and the North East.
