BS 5266 Explained: Emergency Lighting Requirements
Emergency lighting is one of the few compliance regimes where the routine testing falls squarely on the building's own team rather than a contractor. This guide explains what BS 5266 requires, the difference between the monthly and annual tests, and the practical trap in the annual duration test that catches sites out.
In short
BS 5266-1 is the British Standard code of practice for emergency lighting of premises. It covers where emergency lighting is needed, how long it must operate for, and the testing regime: a short monthly function test and a full-duration test annually, both recorded in the premises log book.
Where emergency lighting is required
The purpose is to let people leave a building safely when the normal supply fails. That drives coverage: escape routes and the exits themselves, but also stairs, changes of level, direction changes, and the areas where a sudden loss of light would create its own hazard. Fire alarm call points and firefighting equipment need illumination so they can be found and used. Plant rooms, lift cars, and toilets above a certain size also commonly need cover.
Beyond escape lighting, the standard distinguishes standby lighting (letting normal activity continue) and high-risk task area lighting (letting a hazardous process be shut down safely). Most commercial buildings need escape lighting; the other two are driven by what happens in the building. As with fire detection, the coverage should follow from the fire risk assessment rather than from a generic layout.
- Escape routes, exits, stairs, and changes of level or direction
- At fire alarm call points and firefighting equipment
- Plant rooms, lift cars, and larger toilet accommodation
- High-risk task areas where a process must be made safe before evacuating
Monthly and annual testing
The monthly test is a short function test: simulate a supply failure long enough to confirm every luminaire and exit sign illuminates, then restore the supply and confirm the charging indicators are healthy. It is deliberately brief, because a long test flattens the batteries and leaves the building unprotected while they recharge.
The annual test is the full rated duration — normally three hours — and this is where sites come unstuck. The system must operate for the whole rated period and every luminaire must still be working at the end of it, which is the point of the exercise: a battery that lights a fitting for ten minutes passes the monthly test and fails the emergency. Because the batteries need up to 24 hours to recharge afterwards, the annual test should be scheduled when the building can tolerate a period of reduced protection, which usually means outside occupied hours. Both tests are recorded in the log book with the date, result, and any remedial action.
- Monthly — short function test, confirm all luminaires and signs illuminate
- Annually — full rated duration, normally 3 hours, all luminaires working at the end
- Allow up to 24 hours recharge after the annual test
- Record date, result, and remedial actions in the log book for both
Self-testing systems and record keeping
Automatic self-testing systems carry out the function and duration tests on a programmed schedule and log the results centrally, which removes the manual labour and the risk of a test being skipped in a busy month. They do not remove the duty: someone still has to review the results, act on failures, and be able to produce the records. A self-testing system whose fault reports nobody reads is worse than a manual regime, because it creates a false sense that the matter is handled.
Whichever route a site takes, the log book is the compliance artefact. It should record the system's design and rated duration, the test results, faults and their rectification, and any alteration to the installation. Alterations matter more than people expect: partitioning an open floor, changing a door swing, or relocating a call point can all put a luminaire in the wrong place, and the record of what was installed where is what makes that reviewable.
Related maintenance checklists
Related inspection checklists
Further reading
Compliance & CAFM
Track emergency lighting tests on a compliance register
PM Assist's building compliance software holds this duty on a register for every building you manage, included in every paid plan.
- Emergency Lighting Test sits on the compliance register, showing when it was last done, when it is next due and the certificate behind it.
- Duties with no record held are listed as gaps, so nothing is missed just because nobody logged it.
- AI reads your certificates and proposes the dates and remedial actions; a person checks them against the source document before they count.
Sources
The regulatory positions on this page come from the following primary sources. Where guidance and legislation differ, the legislation governs — always confirm the requirements that apply to your own site and jurisdiction.
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — legislation.gov.uk
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: guidance — GOV.UK
Frequently asked questions
How often should emergency lighting be tested?
Why is the annual emergency lighting test three hours?
Can I do the emergency lighting test myself?
Do self-testing emergency lights remove the need for manual testing?
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