Emergency Lighting Explained

Emergency lighting is lighting that operates automatically when the normal power supply fails. Its purpose is to allow people to leave a building safely and to keep essential areas usable during an outage. It is a life-safety system, and its provision and maintenance are governed by BS 5266 and by fire-safety legislation.

Why it matters

When mains power fails during an incident, ordinary lighting goes out. Without emergency lighting, escape routes become hazardous. Emergency lighting therefore supports safe evacuation, reduces panic, and marks the location of exits and fire-fighting equipment.

Types of emergency lighting

• Escape route lighting — illuminates corridors, stairways and exit routes so people can leave safely.
• Open area (anti-panic) lighting — reduces the risk of panic in larger spaces by providing general illumination toward escape routes.
• High-risk task area lighting — allows people carrying out potentially dangerous processes to shut them down safely.
• Standby lighting — allows normal activities to continue; not strictly a life-safety category but often provided.

Luminaires are either maintained (lit at all times) or non-maintained (only illuminate on supply failure).

The legal and standards framework

• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a duty on the responsible person to provide and maintain appropriate emergency lighting.
• BS 5266-1 is the code of practice for the design, installation and maintenance of emergency lighting.
• A fire risk assessment determines where and what type of emergency lighting is required.

Testing and maintenance

Emergency lighting must be tested to confirm it will work when needed:

• Monthly: a short functional test confirming each luminaire illuminates on loss of supply.
• Annually: a full-duration discharge test — usually for the system's rated duration (commonly three hours) — confirming batteries sustain the lighting for the required period.

All tests should be recorded in an emergency lighting logbook, with any failures rectified promptly. Keeping this record demonstrates that the responsible person is meeting their duty and that the system is fit to protect building occupants.