Emergency Lighting Systems

“Guiding your people to safety when the power fails.”

In a total power failure or fire-related blackout, standard lighting is the first thing to fail. Emergency lighting isn’t just a convenience; it’s a vital life-safety requirement. At HF, we provide expert design, installation, and forensic testing to ensure your premises comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and BS 5266-1 standards. We ensure that when the lights go out, the way out remains clear.

Types of Emergency Lighting

Depending on your building’s usage and occupancy, our engineers will recommend one of three core system types:

Maintained Emergency Lighting: These fittings operate continuously as part of your day-to-day lighting but stay illuminated via battery backup if the mains power fails. These are commonly used in public spaces like cinemas or theatres.
Non-Maintained Emergency Lighting: These units remain off during normal operation and only activate the moment a power failure is detected. They are the most common choice for escape routes in standard office or retail environments.
Sustained Emergency Lighting: These fittings contain two sets of lamps. One set operates on the standard mains supply for daily use, while the second set is fed by a battery backup and only activates during a power outage.

Strategic Design & Signage

An effective emergency lighting strategy goes beyond simply placing lights at random. It requires careful mapping of the building’s layout to ensure every door, staircase, and change in floor level is clearly visible.

Escape Route Illumination: Ensuring that paths to safety are bright enough to navigate under stress.
Emergency Exit Signage: Utilising “running man” exit signs to highlight the quickest route out of the building.
Dual Power Supply: Every emergency light must have two sources of supply. While the primary source is the mains, the secondary source is typically a self-contained battery pack or a centrally located battery bank.

Testing & Compliance: The Log Book

It is a legal requirement that emergency lighting is checked regularly by a “competent person.” Failure to produce a verified log book during a fire service inspection can result in heavy penalties.

Our Maintenance Services Include:

Monthly Functional Testing: A brief “flick test” to ensure all lamps and switching mechanisms are operational.
Annual Full Discharge Test: Once a year, the system must be tested for its full rated duration (typically 3 hours). This ensures the batteries are capable of holding enough charge to support a prolonged evacuation.
Digital Log Book Management: We provide clear documentation of every test, ensuring your audit trail is flawless for health and safety inspections.

Total Life Safety

We integrate your emergency lighting with your wider fire alarm and security infrastructure. With NSI Gold accreditation, we provide the technical expertise needed to manage complex safety projects across the UK.

Is your building compliant with BS 5266? Don’t wait for a power failure to find out. Contact HF Fire & Security today to arrange a system audit or maintenance contract.