You need emergency lighting in areas that could be considered “dangerous” such as commercial kitchens or plant rooms. If your building has rooms larger than 60 square metres, then emergency lighting is recommended. How long do emergency lights need to stay on? Is your building permanently used E.G. Hotels, then you need to test the lights so that the end of the test corresponds to the start of day. In this way the emergency lights will have a good time to recharge during daylight hours. Natural daylight will help if the emergency lights don’t last 3 hours. Should I test ALL emergency lights at once? These tests are critical for ensuring that emergency lighting systems are functioning correctly and are ready to activate in the event of an emergency. Be very careful when touching anything inside the electrical consumer box, there is a danger of electrocution if something is wrong. If in doubt seek a qualified electrician ** What time of day should I test the emergency lights Yes, there are laws and regulations that govern the use of emergency lighting test keys. Emergency lighting is an essential part of fire protection systems, and it is important to ensure that it is working correctly in case of an emergency.

In summary, while a key switch may be a helpful feature for some emergency lighting systems, it is not typically necessary or required for basic testing of the emergency lighting system. Self testing EM lights "do as it says on the tin" they carry out all the required tests without help, they only have timer software, so that means they will carry out all required tests over 12 months but you can not determine when as they have no calender software. Self testing EM lights also have multiple coloured LEDs and a "beeper" and problems or potential problems are indicated by the sequence / colour of the LED's and beeper. The colours/flashes vary according to each manufacturer. Emergency lighting test keys are compatible with various switch brands, including MK, Crabtree, Eaton, and MEM.Emergency lighting is typically required in all public buildings, including schools, hospitals, offices, and other commercial and industrial buildings. First and foremost, your emergency lighting must be tested by a competent person due to the important nature of the system in ensuring occupant safety in the event of an emergency. Overall, emergency lighting is an important safety feature in buildings of all types, and it is a legal requirement in most jurisdictions. Are you looking for high quality fire alarm systems? At The Safety Centre, we have an exceptional range of the best systems and equipment for a variety of different requirements. Whether you are looking for wireless alarm systems, call systems, a sealed lead acid battery, fire extinguishers or domestic fire detectors, you will find what you are looking for when you browse through our collection.

They are simple to use and help save time and money when conducting emergency lighting system tests. Does emergency lighting need a key switch for testing? Standby lighting enables normal activities within in building to continue in the event of a mains power failure. Standby lighting is not a legal requirement but is a facility that some buildings may need depending on the use and occupancy of the premises. These control panels are typically installed in areas such as stairwells, emergency exits, and other high-risk areas. In addition to the legal requirements for emergency lighting, building owners and operators also have a responsibility to regularly test and maintain their emergency lighting systems to ensure that they are in proper working condition. Emergency lighting test keys are essential tools for conducting periodic tests on emergency lighting systems.

So...all you require to be BS compliant is a "standard method of isolating the supply to each fitting (to simulate or induce a power fail)" which ideally would probably be a key-switch located next to the normal light switch feeding every maintained EL, The Safety Centre has an extensive range of fire and safety products that we supply to companies and individuals worldwide, with over 30 years experience you can trust us to deliver a bespoke solution for all your fire and safety requirements. During this period the light levels will be a lower level of illumination when in emergency mode and depending how long it would take you to walk the emergency lights would it be safe for the relevant persons occupying the building? Also if the building has sub circuits then each sub circuit has to be tested separately because if a sub circuit fails then that area needs to be illuminated by the emergency lighting. UK fire regulations stipulate that your emergency lights should be turned on and off monthly to test them and have a full service once a year. The latest British Standard recommends that you have a 3 hour emergency lighting test once a year, during which your main light circuit should be switched off and your emergency lights left on for a 3 hour period to find out of any batteries need replacing. How can Equiptest help me? Question...do I need to fit dedicated test/key switches to each EL unit (or in banks) or can I get away with using the single switch fuse (located in the services cupboard) to facilitate testing.

High risk task area lighting provides light for the safety of people involved in potentially dangerous processes. This lighting enables proper shut-down procedures to be followed for the safety of the operator and other occupants of a building. Testing emergency lighting is an important aspect of building safety and maintenance. These lights are designed to illuminate exit paths and ensure safe evacuation in the event of a power outage or emergency situation. Regular testing is essential to ensure that they are in proper working condition when needed. The BS states that each emergency lighting system should have a suitable means for simulating failure of the normal supply for test purposes and that is all. Yes and no. If it is a small building and all the emergency lights are on one circuit, then yes, you have no choice. However if it is a large building then it would make sense to stagger the testing. This way the whole building would not be affected if there was a power cut, during the recharge time. Testing Central Battery Systems This depends on the size and complexity of your building and the time it would take to evacuate. The minimum duration for an emergency escape lighting system is one hour. One hour’s duration should only be used if the premises are evacuated immediately on power supply failure and it is not reoccupied until full capacity has been restored to the batteries.We can provide emergency lighting testing and servicing to ensure you are fire safety compliant. We can test your emergency lighting system at a time that suits you. The results of all testing and any necessary corrective action can be recorded in your fire safety logbook. This record is then available for inspection if required.

The test keys are also available in different shapes and sizes, depending on the type of switch they are designed to operate. We offer a broad range of wireless alarms which are becoming increasingly sought-after across the world, and these innovative fire alarm systems are now as effective as wired alarms due to the improvements in radio technology over the past 20 years. Wireless fire alarm systems can be incorporated into both commercial and industrial settings and are extremely easy to install. Our wireless systems are extremely affordable and competitively-priced, and they also incorporate a range of features, such as sounders, call points, beacons, control panels and repeater panels. You should be sure to come to us for the best wireless fire alarms in the industry.Areas in which there is moving machinery or vehicles, flammable materials or control rooms associated with potentially dangerous processes have, as ‘high risk task areas’, slightly different requirements in relation to emergency lighting – particularly in relation to the illuminance levels to be maintained and duration of operation. High risk task area lighting is provided predominantly to ensure that processes can be safely terminated, and occupants make their evacuation from the area without undue risk from the process. The frequency in which you should get your emergency lighting tested can vary depending on system type (i.e. maintained emergency lighting or non-maintained), but as a general guide, you should aim to get your emergency lighting system tested monthly, in addition to an annual ‘full duration’ test as described in BS 5266-1.