Emergency Lighting checks

[wallyanker]

Hi All

Can anyone tell me how often the Emergency Lighting must be checked in a commercial premises, ie, high street shop? Will it be the same for an office block housing 100 people split between 10 rooms?

Thanks
Pete

 

[KINKY]

BS5266 says where national regulations do not apply the following shall be met.

Daily:
Visual confirmation of LED indicators, central battery cubicles, self-contained units etc.

Monthly:
Duration testing (not full Duration)
Check condition of fittings, present? Clean? Functioning correctly?

Annually:
Duration testing (full Duration)

The reason for partial duration on the monthly test is
to limited the risk posed by draining the batteries down. Say if there was a
true emergency just after you do a full duration test. There would be no
emergency lights.

That’s the general gist of what BS5266 says

 

[wallyanker]

Thank you for the above

I assume the above will need recording in a log book. Please advise where the best place to get a log book from? I work for a pharmacy chain with 60 shops so I will need a log book per site, a free template would be super:yes:

 

[KINKY]

Yes, BS5266 says a log book shall be kept on the premises in the care of a responsible person appointed by the occupier/owner and shall be readily available for examination by any duly authorized person.

The log book shall be used to record at least the following information:-

1. Date of commissioning incl certs
2. PIR dates
3. Dates & brief service details, inspection or test
4. Dates & brief details of any remedial works
5. Dates & brief details of any alterations to the system
6. If any auto test devices exist, the main characteristics and the mode of operation shall be described.

There are some examples of test certs in BS5266 but no complete log book examples.

I’m in a similar situation as you. I work on a pharmaceutical site and we are installing new emergency lighting over the next 4 years to 100s of buildings.


Part of this is also to compile and issue log books to the maintenance team so as they can keep the emergency lighting systems in compliance and functioning correctly.

As long as you include the recommended info the log book can take any form you like within reason.

You really do need to get a copy of BS5266 tho.

 

[UNG]

If you look on the fire brigade websites they usually have log books that can be downloaded that cover emergency lighting as well as fire alarms, fire training extinguisher testing and the other bits associated with fire and emergency precautions in premises

 

[wallyanker]

Thanks to all

Many of our sites do not have emergency lighting installed, which I find strange as they are busy high street shops and can contain 10-20 customers at any one time.
Is there any regs that state all buildings (new or existing) serving customers must have emergency lighting?

Thanks
Pete

 

[UNG]

I think you need to carry out a risk assessment out on each site, If the lighting failed would you easily find the exit of the premises if not then emergency lighting would be a consideration

 

[KINKY]

Thanks to all

Many of our sites do not have emergency lighting installed, which I find strange as they are busy high street shops and can contain 10-20 customers at any one time.
Is there any regs that state all buildings (new or existing) serving customers must have emergency lighting?

Thanks
Pete

BS5266-1:2005 5.2

Under the Management of Health and Safety At Work Regulations 1999 [7], every employer is required to carry out a risk assessment to identify the risk to people who enter the employer’s premises; the employer is required to take measures on the basis of the risk assessment to safeguard building occupants. These measures need to include the provisions of safe means of escape, including, where necessary, emergency lighting, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities, In particular people with visual impairment.

A shop capable of holding 20-30 customers who will be unfamiluir with the layout, Location of life saving equipment and emergency escape routes, I would say needs emergecy lighting.

Not just to illuminated the escape routes, but also firefighting equipment, call points etc etc

If the lights go out, and there is a fire, no one apart from shop employees, who maybe dead, will know where the fire extinguisher are.

You could also look at it this way. If the lights go out and its pitch black, will there be a need to secure drugs before leaving the building?