Emergency Lighting London
Emergency lighting is one of those systems nobody thinks about until a power cut plunges a building’s escape routes into darkness, at which point it matters more than almost anything else in the building. If your fire risk assessment identifies a need for emergency escape lighting, maintaining and testing it is a legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, not an optional extra. First Strike Electrical Ltd installs and tests emergency lighting across London businesses, and as an NICEIC approved contractor since 1999, our work follows BS 5266, the recognised standard for this kind of system.
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- NICEIC Approved
- BS 5266 Compliant
- Logbook Evidence Provided
Installation
We design and install emergency lighting systems for offices, retail units, restaurants and other commercial premises, positioning fittings to properly illuminate escape routes, fire exits, and areas where people need to be able to see clearly if mains power fails. This includes maintained fittings (permanently lit) and non-maintained fittings (which only activate on mains failure), specified according to what your building and its use actually require.
Testing, and Why the Two Test Types Matter
BS 5266 sets out two distinct testing intervals. A monthly function test simulates a mains failure to check each fitting illuminates correctly and shows no obvious damage, a quick check that doesn’t fully discharge the battery. An annual test is more demanding: it confirms the lighting stays illuminated for its full rated duration, typically three hours, and any fitting that fails before that point needs prompt repair or replacement. Both tests need to be documented in an emergency lighting logbook, recording the date, results and any defects found, which is exactly the evidence you need to demonstrate compliance if your building is ever inspected.
Why This Isn’t Just Paperwork
As the responsible person for a commercial building, you’re the one accountable if emergency lighting isn’t properly maintained and something goes wrong during an actual evacuation. Beyond the legal duty, this is genuinely one of the more consequential systems in a building precisely because it only matters in an emergency, by which point it’s too late to discover a fitting has failed.
Who Counts as the Responsible Person
Under fire safety law, the responsible person is usually the employer, the building owner, or whoever has control of the premises, and it’s their duty to ensure a fire risk assessment is carried out and that anything it identifies, including emergency lighting, is properly maintained. If you’re unsure whether this responsibility sits with you or a landlord in a shared or leased building, it’s worth clarifying that early, since it affects who should be arranging and paying for testing.
Why Choose First Strike Electrical
NICEIC approved, so our installation and testing work is independently assessed, and trading in London since 1999, we’ve worked with businesses of every size on emergency lighting, from a single-room office needing a handful of fittings to larger premises with a full escape route system. We can set up a straightforward testing schedule so your monthly and annual tests happen on a predictable calendar rather than being dealt with reactively when someone remembers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I legally need emergency lighting in my business premises?
If your fire risk assessment identifies a need for it, yes, maintaining and testing it is a legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
What’s the difference between the monthly and annual tests?
The monthly test is a quick functional check that fittings illuminate correctly. The annual test confirms the full rated duration, usually three hours, is achieved, and is more demanding on the system.
Do you provide the logbook evidence I need for compliance?
Yes, we document every test with the date, results, and any defects found, giving you the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance if your building is inspected.
Can you set up a rolling testing schedule rather than one-off visits?
Yes, and for most businesses this is the simpler option, so testing happens automatically on the correct cycle rather than relying on someone remembering to book it.
I lease my premises, is emergency lighting my responsibility or my landlord’s?
It depends on your lease and who’s defined as the responsible person for fire safety in your specific arrangement. Worth clarifying this directly with your landlord or managing agent if you’re unsure.
Related Electrical Services
We work across central, west, north west and south west London — see every area we cover.
Book Emergency Lighting Installation or Testing
See our commercial electrician London page for related compliance work, or get in touch to discuss your premises.
NICEIC approved, trading since 1999.
First Strike Electrical Ltd