Emergency escape lighting in London should normally receive a short functional test every month and a full rated-duration test annually. Central systems may also need regular visual checks. The Fire Safety Order requires emergency lighting, where provided for fire safety, to be maintained and regularly tested, while the practical testing intervals come from fire-safety guidance and current emergency-lighting standards rather than a separate London-only testing law.
What Is the Normal Emergency Lighting Test Schedule?
GOV.UK fire-safety guidance sets out a routine based around monthly and annual testing. It also refers to visual checks of central controls where these form part of the installation.
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The Fire Safety Order creates the duty to maintain fire-safety measures in efficient working order. The familiar monthly and annual testing pattern is the practical maintenance approach given in official fire-safety guidance and emergency-lighting standards.
What Happens During the Monthly Emergency Lighting Test?
The monthly check is a short functional test. The normal lighting supply to the emergency fittings is simulated as failed so that the emergency luminaires should transfer to their backup supply and illuminate.
The person carrying out the check should confirm that the relevant fittings and illuminated signs operate correctly and that no obvious fault indicators are showing. The monthly test is not intended to exhaust the batteries.
GOV.UK guidance describes the function test as lasting only long enough to confirm that each emergency lamp illuminates. Where the installation has self-testing facilities, the routine may differ, but the recorded results and any fault indications still need to be managed.
A test key or dedicated test switch is commonly used to simulate failure of the normal lighting supply without switching off unrelated electrical circuits.
What Is Checked During the Annual Full-Duration Test?
The annual test is more demanding because the emergency lighting is operated for its full rated duration. The purpose is to establish whether the battery and luminaire can continue providing emergency lighting for the period for which that system was designed.
Not every emergency-lighting installation has the same rated duration, so the annual test should follow the actual system design rather than assuming that every fitting must always run for the same number of hours.
The separate guide explaining
how long emergency lights should operate during a power cut
covers emergency duration in more detail.
A full-duration test temporarily reduces the available battery reserve. It should therefore be planned for a suitable time so the building is not left without effective emergency lighting while batteries recharge. Alternative arrangements may be needed if the premises must remain occupied.
Who Is Responsible for Making Sure Emergency Lighting Is Tested?
For workplaces and other non-domestic premises in England, responsibility sits with the person or people who have control of the premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. GOV.UK refers to this person as the Responsible Person.
Depending on the building, that may be an employer, owner, landlord, occupier, facilities manager or managing agent. In multi-occupied buildings, responsibilities can be divided, so the testing arrangement should make clear who manages each part of the emergency-lighting system.
The Fire Safety Order also applies to common parts of buildings containing two or more domestic premises. That does not mean the same person automatically owns every system in every part of the building; responsibility follows control of the premises and fire-safety measures.
The legal framework for when emergency lighting is required is a separate question. The article on
emergency lighting installation requirements in London
covers that wider compliance issue.
Should Emergency Lighting Tests Be Recorded?
Yes. Keeping a clear test and maintenance record makes it possible to show when the system was checked, what was found and what action followed.
A useful emergency-lighting record normally identifies:
- the date of the test;
- whether it was a monthly function test or annual full-duration test;
- the area or system tested;
- any fittings or indicators that failed;
- remedial action taken or arranged;
- the person who carried out or recorded the test.
GOV.UK fire-safety guidance recommends keeping records of tests and maintenance, and current emergency-lighting standards include documentation as part of system management.
What Should Happen If an Emergency Light Fails a Test?
A failed emergency light should not simply be recorded and left until the next scheduled inspection. The cause needs to be identified and the required repair, battery replacement or fitting replacement arranged so the emergency-lighting provision remains effective.
A failure may involve the battery, lamp or LED module, charger, supply, control arrangement or the fitting itself. If several luminaires fail together, the problem may also involve a common supply or system component.
Where a system has failed fittings, uncertain battery condition or incomplete records,
emergency lighting inspection and testing
can be used to review the existing installation and identify the required remedial work.
Is Monthly Testing the Same as Emergency Lighting Maintenance?
No. A monthly function test confirms basic emergency operation at that point in time, but it is not a substitute for inspection, servicing, full-duration testing or repair.
Emergency-lighting maintenance considers the wider condition of the system, including fittings, batteries, controls, charging arrangements, signs and recorded defects. The annual test also checks a different performance question from the short monthly function test.
The broader testing and maintenance process is covered in
Emergency Lighting Testing in London: The Complete Guide to Compliance, Safety Inspections and Ongoing Maintenance.
Which Emergency Lighting Standards Are Current in 2026?
The current BSI code of practice is BS 5266-1:2025, published on 29 October 2025. It replaced BS 5266-1:2016 and provides current guidance for emergency lighting of premises.
BS EN 50172:2024 is also current. It covers emergency escape lighting systems and includes requirements relating to installation, verification, operation, maintenance documentation and testing.
These standards provide the technical framework for emergency lighting, but they should not be described as legislation themselves. In England, the legal duty to provide and maintain appropriate fire-safety measures arises from fire-safety legislation and the premises' fire-risk assessment.
References & Standards
Current government fire-safety guidance and BSI information were used to verify the testing routine, responsible-person duties and current standards position.
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