The British Standard 5266 Emergency Lighting code of conduct gives guidelines for where emergency lighting is required. It states that every workplace should have suitable and sufficient emergency lighting and that in a room where employees are at risk should the regular lighting fail, emergency lighting must be provided and maintained.

A responsible person has to conduct a fire risk assessment, which is then evaluated by the Fire and Rescue Service, according to the British Standard 5266-1. So, the onus is on the business to decide what the risk is.

Different businesses present different risk levels. Businesses with a high level of foot traffic such as shopping centres pose a different risk to office buildings. Buildings where people regularly attend, give one the scope to carry out regular fire drills, which reduces risk. Hotels, as an example, need a high level of emergency lighting, as people will be unfamiliar with the layout, so will struggle more in the event of a power cut.

Key areas to ensure are well-lit are locations such as exit points, and stairwells. Luminaries need to be within 2 metres of these critical areas. Our professional engineers can advise on the best placement for your emergency lighting.

Visual checks of your emergency lighting should be carried out daily. These can be done by a competent person on site. Visual checks are the first line in defense of ensuring that your emergency lighting is fully functional.

Monthly checks should be carried out by a competent person. If you do not have a suitable individual on-site we can carry this out for you. You must simulate the failure of the mains power for long enough to test the function of the emergency lights.

The British Standard recommends that all emergency lighting systems be serviced every six months. Our engineers regularly carry out this type of work and our vehicles carry all the necessary testing equipment to cater to all types of systems. It is important that all testing, maintenance, and servicing are recorded in an emergency lighting Log Book, as you must be able to produce a record of your emergency lighting checks if asked to do so.

Elite Fire Equipment offers full service and maintenance of emergency lighting in accordance with BS5266 and BS9990, for your business.

Key areas to ensure are well-lit are locations such as exit points, and stairwells. Luminaries need to be within 2 metres of these critical areas. Our professional engineers can advise on the best placement for your emergency lighting.

There are three types of emergency lights; non-maintained, maintained, and sustained and these are used in different areas depending upon the usage in that area. Fire exits can be doors or windows, they can be external staircases. Our engineers will be able to work with you to ensure that you have the correct emergency lights for your fire exits.

Non-maintained - The emergency light is only illuminated when the mains supply is interrupted.

Maintained - The emergency light uses the same source for both mains, which is usually switched and in emergency mode.

Sustained- The emergency light has a separate light source for both mains and emergency mode, for emergency lighting.