Emergency Lighting

Emergency lighting provides illumination if your building experiences a power failure or a fire. It can help keep staff calm and allow them to evacuate the building safely, as well as find fire-fighting equipment.

Regulations such as The Regulator Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that all publically accessible buildings (like theatres, hospitals, shopping centres and council buildings), HMOs and most businesses, are required by law to have emergency lighting.

As emergency lighting is powered by rechargeable batteries, it is important that the lighting is tested regularly to ensure that the batteries will power the lights in an emergency situation. There are two types of tests that need to be carried out:

Flash test (Flick test): This is when emergency lights are illuminated to check they are in good working order. This test needs to be carried out at least once a month.

Duration test (Discharge test): This is a more thorough test which is carried out annually by a competent engineer. This looks at the condition of your lights, their charging capacity and involves fully discharging your battery to see if there are any issues with drainage. If any failures are identified from a duration test, they must be resolved as soon as possible.

Here at Hawkesworth, our network of highly-qualified engineers are available to carry out your flash and duration tests and accurately record the result of the tests in your fire safety logbook.

Why choose Hawkesworth for your emergency lighting requirements?

• We are fully flexible: We are available to carry out your testing in and out of hours 
• We are available across the country: Our network of engineers cover the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands meaning we can test your emergency lighting wherever you are based
• We are fully accredited and experienced:We are an NICEIC approved contractor as well as a registered member of the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA), ensuring that all we do is in line with the highest of standards
• We provide a free reminder service: Don’t worry about when your next emergency lighting test is due as we provide a courtesy reminder service
• We’re a one-stop-shop for your businesses safety requirements: As well as emergency lighting; we provide a range of services including electrical equipment (PAT) testing, EICR inspections, fire alarm testing, fire risk assessments and thermal imaging
• We provide expert advice, any time you need it: We keep all of our customers up to date with the latest industry developments, so you are fully informed about emergency lighting regulations at all times

Useful emergency lighting links

• How often does emergency lighting need to be tested?