Serving London, Herts, Beds, Bucks & Essex
At Specialist Electrical Group, we install, test, and maintain emergency lighting systems to meet current safety standards. Whether you’re managing a single building or a housing portfolio, we ensure your systems are fully compliant, clearly documented, and ready when needed.
Call 0345 3 822 833 or enquire online to arrange a site visit or request a quote.
What is emergency lighting
Emergency lighting systems provide vital illumination during power outages, fires, or other emergencies. These battery-backed units automatically activate when mains power fails, helping occupants evacuate safely and ensuring compliance with building regulations.
A small green LED typically indicates which fittings are emergency-rated, allowing for easy identification during inspections. It is a legal requirement for most residential blocks, commercial buildings, and public spaces to have working emergency lighting in place.
Why is emergency lighting important?
Emergency lighting is critical in both public and private buildings. To begin with, when the emergency lighting unit is activated during an emergency, it allows residents and the general public within the building to safely exit. It also makes it possible for first responders to navigate the building with ease. It is critical that your emergency lighting units be tested. If the emergency lighting unit is not activated, the building will be plunged into darkness, posing a safety risk to those inside.
Emergency lighting at Specialist Electrical Group
At Specialist Electrical Group, we install and test emergency lighting systems. When testing emergency lighting, our team will turn off the power within the building and walk around to ensure that each light is working properly to keep residents safe in the event of an emergency. We worked with Osborne Property Services and Morgan Sindall to install and test emergency lighting in Slough, Camden, and Hemel Hempstead.
How often should you service your emergency lighting
A full emergency lighting service is required annually, though in some cases it is recommended every six months. This service requires a trained engineer to check that your system is fully compliant and to turn off the main power supply to the lighting for 3 hours. The trained engineer will ensure that the emergency lighting remains on throughout. If any emergency lights fail this service, the battery backup or lighting unit may need to be replaced; this should be done as soon as possible.
Current emergency lighting standards & requirements
The current emergency lighting standards in the United Kingdom, BS 5266-1, state that all types of properties, including offices, hotels, nightclubs, hospitals, and others, must have emergency lighting. The BS 5266-1 standard requires that emergency lighting units be tested on a regular basis to ensure that they operate safely when called upon. It is a legal requirement to have an emergency lighting certificate; you can obtain one after testing the emergency lighting units. It is critical to keep all of your emergency lighting certificates, repairs, minor works certificates, and logbooks so that your compliance can be proven if necessary.
Testing your emergency lighting
Given the importance of emergency lighting testing and the severity of the problem, we recommend that you do not self-test the emergency lighting units if they do not work when needed. We recommend contacting a trained electrical contractor like us at Specialist Electrical Group. When testing the emergency lighting units, our engineer will point out any flaws that must be fixed in order to keep your employees or residents safe.
