An emergency lighting inspection checklist for the two routine tests every emergency lighting system needs: the short monthly function test, which proves each fitting switches on when the power fails, and the annual full-duration test, which proves the batteries hold for as long as they are rated. Each light and lit exit sign gets its own entry with its location, type and results, so a building with sixty fittings still ends up with a short, exact list of the ones to fix.
Monthly and annual — two different tests
The monthly test is brief. Cut the normal supply to the fittings — with a test key switch, or by isolating the lighting circuit — and walk the building checking that every one comes on and every exit sign is lit. Then restore the supply and check the charge indicators come back on. In the US, NFPA 101 calls for a functional test of at least 30 seconds every month; in the UK, BS 5266-1 calls for a short monthly test too.
The annual test runs the fittings on battery for their full rated duration — 90 minutes is the usual US figure, and three hours is common in the UK — and checks they are still lit at the end. It is the test that finds batteries that have quietly lost their capacity. It leaves the building with flat batteries for a day, so it is best done when the building is empty or quiet, and the form reminds you to check the recharge.
One entry per fitting
A single "all emergency lights OK" tick is impossible to check and easy to sign without walking the building. A list of fittings, each with a reference number matching a label on the fitting and a plan, shows which ones were tested and which failed. Next month, the same list tells the next person where to look.
Self-test fittings, which run their own tests and show the result on an indicator, still need someone to walk round and read those indicators and record what they show. Central battery systems need the battery and charger checked as well as the fittings; that section appears only if the building has one.
More than whether the bulb lights
A fitting that lights but is aimed at a wall, blocked by a new partition, or too dim to see the stairs by has failed in every way that matters. The form asks whether each one was bright enough to do its job, and whether there is a light at each place people need one: every exit door, each flight of stairs, changes of direction and level, fire alarm call points and firefighting equipment.
Exit signs get their own checks: visible from along the route, arrows pointing the right way, and still readable when the normal lights are off.
Common questions
How often should emergency lighting be tested?
A short function test every month and a full-duration test once a year is the pattern in both NFPA 101 (US) and BS 5266-1 (UK). Your local code, fire marshal or insurer may set more, and self-test systems have their own rules for how the results are recorded and checked.
How long should emergency lights stay on during the annual test?
For their full rated duration. In the US that is generally 90 minutes. In the UK, fittings are commonly rated for three hours, sometimes one hour where the premises are evacuated immediately and not reoccupied. Check the rating on the fitting or in the system design.
Who can carry out the tests?
The monthly test is often done by a trained member of staff or a facilities technician. The annual test and repairs are usually done by an electrician or a specialist contractor. Whoever does it should record the results and make sure faults are put right.
What should we do when a fitting fails?
Record it, arrange the repair, and think about the area it covered until it is fixed — for instance, extra portable lighting or restricting use after dark. The form lists failed fittings as findings and asks for an action with an owner and a date.
Do photoluminescent exit signs need testing?
They have no battery or lamp, but they need enough normal light falling on them to charge, and they fade and get dirty. Check they are present, clean, readable and lit by the normal lighting. The form lists them as a fitting type so they are not forgotten.