Guide
Emergency lighting regulations UK: what the law requires
The law does not list the fittings you need. It requires whoever controls a workplace, or the shared parts of a block of flats, to assess the fire risk and make sure escape routes stay lit if the mains fail. In practice that means emergency lighting designed to the British Standard, a monthly test, an annual full duration test and written records.
Which law applies, and to whom
In England and Wales the duty comes from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, usually called the Fire Safety Order. It falls on the responsible person, which the government defines as the employer, the owner, the landlord, an occupier, or anyone else with control of the premises. That person must carry out a fire risk assessment, review it regularly, keep a written record of it, and put in place and maintain appropriate fire safety measures. Failing to do so can lead to a fine or prison.
Scotland applies its own law, the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, and Northern Ireland the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 with its fire safety regulations. The approach is similar in all three: risk assessment first, then measures that answer it.
A private house lived in by one household is outside these rules. Offices, shops, factories, pubs, churches, the common parts of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation are inside them.
What the risk assessment asks about lighting
The government's five step checklist asks three things about emergency lighting. Is there a reasonable standard of emergency escape lighting to light escape routes and areas without natural light? Are monthly and annual testing routines in place? Are records of testing and maintenance kept? Where the answer to any of the three is no, the assessment has found something to fix.
The checklist does not specify fittings or positions. Those come from the British Standard for emergency lighting, BS 5266, which designers and fire risk assessors work to and which councils name in their standards for licensed houses in multiple occupation.
Where emergency lights usually go
Every building is designed on its own layout, but the same positions come up again and again:
- along escape routes and at each final exit door
- at changes of direction, and on stairs, where every flight needs light
- near fire alarm call points and firefighting equipment, so they can be found in the dark
- in toilets, plant rooms and any other room with no natural light
- above exit signs, which are often combined with the light itself
Fittings are either maintained, lit all the time and staying on when the mains fail, or non-maintained, dark until the power goes. Most small premises use self-contained fittings with their own battery; larger buildings sometimes use a central battery system.
Testing: monthly and annually
| Check | How often | Who usually does it |
|---|---|---|
| Short functional test, simulating a mains failure | Monthly | A trained member of staff |
| Full rated duration test, commonly 3 hours | Annually | A competent person |
| Entry in the log book for each test and each fault | Every time | The responsible person |
The monthly test uses the key switch fitted next to the lighting circuit to cut the mains for long enough to see every fitting light up. The annual test runs the batteries for their full rated duration, which leaves them flat for many hours afterwards, so it is done when the building will be empty or in sections so that half the fittings are always charged. Councils licensing houses in multiple occupation commonly set the same monthly and annual routine as a licence condition.
Small businesses
A small shop or office with good daylight, a short route to the door and nobody working after dark may need very little emergency lighting, and the risk assessment is where that is decided and written down. What the law always requires is the assessment itself. The written record is now required whatever the size of the business, and enforcement officers ask to see it.
Who can test and who can install
The monthly test needs no formal qualification, only someone who knows where the key switches are, what to look for and how to record it. The annual duration test, repairs and any new installation need a competent person, usually an electrician who works with emergency lighting regularly, and the result should be a certificate stating what was tested and what was found.
Changes to the building are a reason to review the lighting along with the risk assessment. A new partition, a moved door or a blocked exit can leave part of an escape route dark even when every fitting passes its test.
What it costs to put right
An annual test and certificate on small premises is typically £120 to £300. Adding fittings is priced per point, and a commercial electrician typically charges £45 to £80 an hour. Ask for a certificate after installation or testing, and keep it with the log book, because that pairing is what an inspecting fire officer looks for.
Common questions
Is emergency lighting a legal requirement?
The law requires escape routes to be adequately lit if the mains fail, where the fire risk assessment shows it is needed. In most workplaces and in the common parts of flats it is, and emergency lighting is how that is met.
How long should emergency lights stay on?
As long as the design requires, which is set out in the British Standard. Three hours is the common rating, and the annual test checks the fittings achieve it.
Do I need emergency lighting in a rented house?
A single household let is outside the Fire Safety Order. Houses in multiple occupation and the shared areas of blocks of flats are inside it, and councils often set emergency lighting conditions on HMO licences.