Are your Properties Compliant with Emergency Lighting Legislation?

Posted on April 25, 2019 in Electrical

As electrical contractors, we undertake a variety of electrical inspections, including emergency lighting testing. As a landlord or business owner, are you confident that your premises comply with emergency lighting legislation?

A good level of light ensures that we can easily undertake daily activities. In the case of a power cut, emergency lighting can make all the difference when it comes to the safe and calm evacuation of occupants and visitors.

Owners of public buildings, high occupancy residential buildings and commercial properties are governed by the following Emergency Lighting legislation:

• The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997
• British Standard BS5266 – revised in 2016

To fulfil their responsibility, owners should arrange the installation, maintenance and regular testing of emergency lighting. In most cases, at least one lux of light should be reliably produced for a minimum of 3 hours, should the need arise.

Installation of Emergency Lighting

From a multi-occupancy residential development or commercial offices, to nightclubs
and hotels, any property where a high volume of people are frequently present will need to invest in emergency lighting installation. Failure to install emergency lighting puts lives at risk and it can also result in a considerable fine.

In two recent examples, an hotelier in Scarborough was fined £50,000 for breaching a number of fire safety regulations, including a lack of emergency lighting. A record £400,000 fine was issued to a private landlord in Lincoln for his failure to invest in regulatory measures that protect residents.

Emergency lighting installation should consider the natural flow of people through the building, operations and escape routes. In addition to lighting up key areas, fire safety signage should be illuminated.

Emergency Lighting Certificate and Log Book

It is necessary for the electrician to provide a completion certificate as part of the installation process. This should detail the system’s conformance to IEE Regulations. It must be kept on the premises at all times.

In addition, a log book should be supplied. It is essential that regular servicing and emergency Lighting testing is carried out and recorded in the log book.

Emergency Lighting Testing

As experienced electrical contractors, Protech can undertake full emergency lighting testing for businesses and residential properties in and around London and the Home Counties.

Let Protech Property Solutions help you to keep your residents, employees and visitors safe, as well as ensuring you meet regulatory requirements and avoid costly fines. Contact us today to discuss your electrical testing requirements and to book a convenient appointment on 0845 604 1288 or visit Protech Electrical Solutions for more information on our electrical services.