Who Can Carry Out Emergency Light Testing?

September 15th, 2022

Last updated: June 9th, 2023

Fire safety is something all businesses need to take very seriously, and this includes emergency lighting tests. These are commonly referred to as “flick tests” and fall under the regulations of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) 2005.

Emergency lighting is a requirement under BS 5266: Emergency Lighting Testing, and state that your commercial building needs to have adequate illumination so that people can see a way out as well as find the equipment and alarms for fighting fires. The UK regulations state that all business premises, from schools to factories to entertainment venues need to have emergency lighting. Escape routing should be shown via these lights.

So, you can see what an important part of managing your business premises this is, and the need for testing. So who can carry out emergency light testing?

The law states that a ‘competent person’ can carry out emergency light testing. This is pretty vague, and means that there is a lot of interpretation, but it is very important for the owners and operators of business premises to ensure that they are legally protected. If a business owner were to test the lighting without professional help, and the worst happened, if they weren’t deemed to be “competent” then they could be in big trouble having breached the laws.

A Health and Safety Executive is often responsible for this within a workplace. This all depends on whether or not you have a specific member of staff who is trained in health and safety and emergency light testing.

It is possible to complete a specific emergency lighting training course, which can provide an introduction to testing as well as installation. If somebody has completed one of these certified courses, they may well fall under the “competent person” category.

On top of that, external companies such as Robinsons Facilities Services can help by creating a planned preventative maintenance schedule, which can include regular testing of fire safety equipment including emergency lighting. Contact us today to discuss your needs.

How Often Testing is Required

Another benefit of having a planned preventative maintenance schedule is the fact that you don’t have to constantly keep a record of when the lighting is tested and ensure you’re remembering to do it on time. There are both monthly and annual tests that are part of the required maintenance.

Monthly Emergency Light Testing

Monthly testing can be carried out by a responsible “competent” person whether internal or external. It is a very good idea to keep a log of this, signed, as proof that it has been carried out and a record of when.

The test is simple, and based on functionality such as checking that the lamps switch on and illuminate as required. The test uses a secure device key which helps to check that the system works rather than having to switch off the whole of the mains lighting power. Both BS EN 50172 and BS 5366-8 refer to these regulations.

An annual test, which is more in-depth, is also required. It is to check that the lamps will last the full duration of the time needed (three hours for these testing purposes). Technicians will usually check this as part of a full fire alarm service.

Of course, these annual tests are more in-depth and the fact that they are a legal requirement means there is no choice but to get them done.

After installation, you will be given a commissioning certificate. This should be kept, along with the logbook you will be given at the time so that you can keep track of when the system was last tested and by whom. This falls under the fire safety responsibilities of your business.

Our team are experts in carrying out these tests and can provide you with a full log of the tests, too. Leaving us to handle your maintenance can ensure that you can focus on the areas of your business you are best at.

The emergency light testing process is important to ensure the safety of your employees and customers, so it is crucial that you make sure your system is working to its full capacity, it can save lives.

Working across Yorkshire, we cover North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire and offer a fast, efficient response time to testing requests as well as emergency lighting repairs. Contact us today for all planned, reactive maintenance or emergency call out. Call 01423 226578 or get in touch to see how Robinsons Facilities Services can help.