Survey and design
Escape routes, open areas and high-risk task areas assessed against the fire risk assessment and BS 5266-1.
Emergency lighting
Emergency lighting that works when the power fails
For building managers and business owners who need emergency lighting installed, tested or brought back into order. You get working lights on every escape route and a test record that shows it.
Emergency lighting has one job: to light the way out when the mains supply fails. It is required on escape routes in almost every commercial building, and it is one of the first things an inspecting officer checks. We install, test and maintain emergency lighting to BS 5266-1, with every test logged and certificated.
The common failure is not the lights themselves but the testing. Monthly checks get skipped, the annual full-duration test is never done, and batteries quietly lose capacity until a unit fails when it is needed. We put the testing on a schedule and keep the records in one place.
Why 3S
- One contract, one point of contact
- A plan within 48 hours
- Photo-verified sign-off against the spec
- Funding available on the work
Emergency lighting
What our emergency lighting service includes
Installation
Maintained or non-maintained luminaires, exit signs and central battery systems installed by a vetted subcontractor.
Monthly function tests
A short test of every luminaire and sign each month, with failures recorded and put right.
Annual full-duration tests
Each unit run on battery for its full rated duration, typically three hours, to prove it lasts.
Repairs and battery replacement
Failed lamps, batteries and fittings replaced, and the unit retested.
Upgrades
Old fittings replaced with LED units or self-test systems that reduce the manual testing burden.
Certificates and logbook
Test results logged and certificates issued, so the record is ready for an inspector.
Emergency lighting testing: what BS 5266-1 expects
BS 5266-1 is the code of practice for emergency lighting in the UK. It calls for a short functional test every month, switching each luminaire and exit sign to battery to check it lights, and a full rated duration test once a year. Most systems are rated at three hours, and that is the usual choice where the building may be reoccupied soon after a power failure.
After a full-duration test, the batteries need time to recharge, so the test is best done when the building is quiet or in sections. All tests, faults and repairs should be recorded in the logbook. Self-test systems can carry out and record these tests automatically, but someone still needs to check the results and act on failures.
Where emergency lighting falls short
Lights added to new areas without a survey. Exit signs pointing the wrong way after a refit. Units with dead batteries that still show a green charging light. Stairs and changes of direction left in darkness. A monthly test is quick, but only if someone owns it.
How it works
Three steps, one point of contact
Step 1
Tell us about the building
Share the premises, the existing system and any recent test records. Most requirements are matched within 48 hours.
Step 2
Survey and price
We check coverage against BS 5266-1 and your fire risk assessment, then specify and price any installation, repairs or testing. You get one proposal, with funding alongside it.
Step 3
Install, test and record
Work is carried out by a vetted, SSIP-accredited subcontractor. Tests are scheduled, results logged and certificates filed.
Funding
Spread the cost
Replacing an ageing emergency lighting system across a whole building, or switching to LED self-test units, can be spread over a fixed term through our sister business, Novora Asset Finance™. It can also sit within a wider fire safety or lighting upgrade. Finance is subject to status and credit approval, and Novora sets out the terms, total cost and any fees before you commit.
Evidence
How the work is evidenced
Installation work is photographed on completion and checked against the specification before sign-off. Monthly and annual test results, repairs and certificates are recorded against each unit, so you can show exactly when every light was last tested.
Questions
Emergency lighting: common questions
How often should emergency lighting be tested?
BS 5266-1 calls for a functional test every month and a full rated duration test once a year. Both should be recorded in the logbook, along with any faults and repairs.
How long should emergency lights last?
Most systems are rated at three hours. Shorter durations are sometimes acceptable where a building will be evacuated and not reoccupied, but the fire risk assessment should confirm what is right for your premises.
Can our own staff do the monthly test?
Yes, a trained member of staff can carry out the monthly function test and record it. The annual full-duration test and any repairs are better left to a competent engineer.
What is the difference between maintained and non-maintained?
Maintained fittings stay lit all the time and remain lit on battery when the power fails, which suits exit signs and places of entertainment. Non-maintained fittings only light when the mains supply fails.
Are self-test emergency lights worth it?
In larger buildings they often are. They carry out and log the tests automatically and flag failures, which cuts labour and missed tests. The results still need checking and acting on.
Related services
Often needed alongside this
Fire alarm systems
For businesses and building managers who need a new fire alarm, an upgrade or servicing that is actually up to date. You get a system that suits the risk and the paperwork to prove it.
Read more →Statutory compliance testingFor landlords, business owners and facilities managers who need their statutory testing done on time and recorded. We schedule it, deliver it and keep the certificates together.
Read more →Hard facilities managementFor business owners and facilities managers responsible for a building that has to stay open. One contract covers the plant, the fabric and the testing, with every job evidenced before it is signed off.
Read more →