Emergency lighting: design, installation & testing
Escape route and open-area emergency lighting, designed around your fire risk assessment and installed to BS 5266. We can carry out the annual test for you, or give your staff the guidance to do the monthly checks — every fitting tested and verified, with the logbook kept up to date.
Quoted the same or next working day · Annual test & certificate · Every fitting tested and verified
Who needs emergency lighting, and what kind
Emergency lighting comes on automatically when the power fails, so people can find their way out safely. Under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, whoever controls a workplace or premises open to the public must carry out a fire risk assessment and keep the fire safety measures it calls for in working order. For most premises, emergency lighting is one of them.
The design standard is BS 5266-1. The fittings and layout depend on the building and how it's used.
The main types
| TYPE | WHAT IT DOES | TYPICALLY FOUND IN |
|---|---|---|
| Escape route | Lights corridors, stairs, exits and changes of direction so people can get out | Almost every commercial premises |
| Open area (anti-panic) | Lights larger open spaces so people can reach an escape route | Offices, shops, halls, restaurants |
| High-risk task area | Lights areas where someone must make a process safe before leaving | Workshops, kitchens, plant rooms |
| Exit signs | Illuminated signs showing the way out, lit at all times or on power failure | Everywhere escape routes are used |
Testing: what's required and when
| CHECK | HOW OFTEN | WHO |
|---|---|---|
| Short functional test | Monthly: each fitting switched to battery briefly and checked | Your staff (we'll show you how) or us |
| Full rated-duration test | Annually: batteries run for the full rated duration, usually 3 hours | Us, with a certificate |
| Logbook | Every test, fault and repair recorded | Kept up to date at every visit |
Testing to BS 5266-1 and BS EN 50172:2024.
How it works
-
Survey
We walk the escape routes with your fire risk assessment and check what you have against what you need.
Free, on site -
Design & quote
A layout of fittings and signs, and one fixed price for installation, upgrade or testing.
Same or next working day -
Install or test
Installed and commissioned, or tested for the full duration, at a time when the building is quiet.
Out of hours where needed -
Certify & log
Certificate issued and logbook updated. We remind you before the next annual test is due.
Every visit
What it costs
All prices are plus VAT. Failed fittings are listed on the certificate and quoted before we replace anything.
Excellent, reliable service. Great guys! Highly recommend VC Electrical.
Catherine Fernando — Google review
Emergency lighting questions, answered
Does my business need emergency lighting?
Your fire risk assessment decides. Most premises that people work in or visit need it on escape routes, and larger or darker spaces need more. Under Scottish fire safety law, whoever controls the premises must make sure the measures the assessment calls for are in place and maintained.
Can we do the monthly tests ourselves?
Yes. The monthly check is a short test to confirm every fitting switches over and lights. We show your staff how to do it and log it. The annual full-duration test needs the right equipment and a certificate, so that's the one we do.
Why does the annual test take so long?
The batteries have to prove they'll run the lights for their full rated duration, usually three hours. After the test they need time to recharge, so we schedule it for when the building is quiet.
What are self-test fittings?
Emergency lights that run their own monthly and annual tests and report a fault on a status indicator. They cut out most of the manual testing and are worth considering when fittings are due for replacement.
Our fittings are old — can you upgrade them?
Usually, yes. Swapping ageing fluorescent fittings for LED ones cuts running costs, extends battery life and is a good moment to switch to self-test fittings. We'll check the layout still matches your fire risk assessment while we're at it.
Related services
Where we do this: Edinburgh · East Lothian · Midlothian
Book a survey or annual test
Tell us about the premises and attach your fire risk assessment if you have it. We'll check what you need and give you a fixed price.
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