EMERGENCY LIGHTING TEST

Emergency lighting Test Solihull Overview

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Emergency Lighting Test Company Able Electrical advice: Emergency Lighting is the ‘back-up’ lighting that kicks in when there’s a power cut to the mains supply which would otherwise plunge a building into darkness. It must be professionally designed, installed, maintained and tested by qualified electricians in order to meet regulations. At ABLE ELECTRICAL Selly Oak, our expert engineers take the worry out of the whole process for you by ensuring that your systems are up to date, up to standard, well maintained and above all, provide the required level of safety for your employees and customers in the event of an emergency.

Info Regarding Emergency Lighting

You can break emergency lighting down into three main categories:

Emergency safety lighting

This applies when power has failed, but it’s not an emergency situation. Emergency safety lighting is enough for people to remain in areas of a building while power is restored, but it’s not enough to carry on working.

Standby lighting

This is back-up lighting that is activated during a power cut to a level that allows work to continue. This must be 100% of the normal lighting as a standby measure.

Emergency escape lighting 

 When people need to leave a building in an emergency and the power has gone out, such as in the event of fire, emergency lighting covers all escape routes. The aim is safely guiding people to their nearest exit via lit escape routes.

Who requires emergency lighting?

Almost all commercial properties, including workplaces, retail, leisure and public buildings (and some domestic properties) need some form of emergency lighting and there are different requirements relating to different categories of building.

Risk assessments are usually necessary to determine what level of emergency lighting system is needed.

Emergency lighting testing procedures

All emergency lighting needs to be regularly tested by qualified electricians in accordance with safety standards. This is to ensure it is working correctly, compatible with fire safety systems and continues to meet regulations – for example, if you’ve redesigned or refurbished your premises, the chances are your emergency lighting systems will need to be altered accordingly.

Various tests are required daily, monthly and annually, including checks of individual luminaires and exit signs and of central battery systems.

What are the Emergency Lighting rules and regulations?

Rules and regulations around emergency lighting have toughened up in recent years and the legal obligations for installing emergency lighting systems now carry the same importance as fire alarm systems.

Relative legislation includes the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order), the Health and Safety at Work Act, Building Regulations and the EU Workplace Directive.

Emergency lighting regulation is covered by a variety of British Standards at each stage of the process, including general advice about the provision of emergency lighting (BS 5266-1:2016), the specified illumination (BS EN 1838: 2013), minimum requirements for the provision and testing of emergency lighting for different premises and various product standards (BE EN 50172:2004/BS 5265:2004).

How long should emergency lights be tested for?

3 hours
It is really important that emergency lights are given a full rated duration test every year. That means if the emergency lights back up should provide 3 hours of illumination (which is often the case), they need to be tested for the full 3 hours to ensure they’re still working at the end of the test.

FOR ELECTRICAL REPAIRS AND INSTALLATIONS SEE OUR SISTER COMPANY ABLE ELECTRIC

THE REASON FOR EICR/PERIODIC TESTING

All electrical installations deteriorate through age and constant use. Eicrtesting.com recommend premises should  be inspected and tested at regular intervals to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued use. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as ‘periodic inspection and testing’ Fixed Wire or EICR Testing

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WHO CARRIES OUT EICR ELECTRICAL SAFETY CERTIFICATE TESTING IN SELLY OAK

Eicrtesting.com a Birmingham based company recommend Periodic inspection and testing should be carried out only by electrically competent persons, such as NICEIC registered electricians. They will check the condition of the electrics against the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671 – Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations).

THE EICR ELECTRICAL SAFETY TEST CERTIFICATE and INSPECTION PROCESS SHELDON

Eicrtesting.com based in Birmingham will send a fully qualified Testing Electrician who will establish the overall condition of all the electric installation and tell you whether it is satisfactory for continued use as well as detail any work that might need to be done. This remedial work will be graded upon importance.

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For any questions you may have see our FAQ’s page, alternatively  you may contact EICR Testing here also.