EMERGENCY LIGHT TESTING

Monthly and annual testing.

All business premises in the United Kingdom are required by law to have emergency lighting installed. Emergency lighting is also required by law in schools, hospitals, multi-storey dwellings and public buildings of all types. In short, unless the building in question is a private dwelling designed for one family to live in, it almost certainly needs to have a fully functioning emergency lighting system installed. It is not enough to simply install an emergency lighting system: the system must be tested on a regular basis to ensure it is functioning as intended.

Emergency lights should be tested monthly and annually. Monthly tests are brief checks to ensure lights are working and clean. Annual tests are more comprehensive, lasting three hours, and involve simulating a power failure to verify lights provide adequate illumination.