Emergency lighting in the UK is governed by BS 5266 (code of practice) and the related BS EN standards for individual luminaires (e.g. BS EN 60598-2-22). Every non-domestic premises with a fire evacuation plan requires a designed emergency lighting scheme — there is no "one size fits all" template. Coverage must include every escape route, every change of direction, every fire alarm call point, every first-aid point, every disabled-refuge area, and every open space exceeding 60 m².
Testing is prescriptive: a brief monthly functional test (operate the test key or self-test to verify each luminaire energises) and an annual full-discharge three-hour test. Records must be kept in the building’s fire safety logbook. BS 5266-1:2016 sets out the required illuminance levels — 1 lux on the centre line of an escape route is the minimum floor-level illuminance.
Modern emergency lighting increasingly uses self-testing luminaires with either central monitoring or distributed test regimes. This removes the manual element from monthly checks but still requires annual full-discharge testing and record-keeping. A good contractor will propose a test strategy that fits the building’s use — intensive care wards, for example, need every test scheduled around clinical activity.
Common findings from INFIRISK-listed inspection contractors: batteries aged beyond their five-year service life, luminaires blocked by signage or plant added after commissioning, and open-area lighting missed in mezzanines or plant rooms. A competent provider catches these on a 30-minute walk-through.
