Emergency lighting to BS 5266
Battery-backed lighting on escape routes, at exits and over fire-fighting equipment that switches on automatically if the mains supply fails, designed, installed and tested to BS 5266.
Battery-backed lighting on escape routes, at exits and over fire-fighting equipment that switches on automatically if the mains supply fails, designed, installed and tested to BS 5266.
If the power cuts while you have customers in, people need to be able to see their way out. Missing or inadequate emergency lighting is one of the most commonly flagged items on a fire risk assessment and one of the cheapest to get right before you open.
Ask for a BS 5266 completion certificate and a maintenance/testing schedule.
Who this is for
Every commercial venue with escape routes used by the public.
What you’ll hold
- BS 5266 emergency lighting completion certificate
- Test log book
Watch out for
- Installing before the fire risk assessment sets the required category and duration — you can end up with the wrong coverage and have to redo it.
- No test log book left on site. An inspector expects to see monthly function tests and an annual full-duration test recorded from day one.
- Forgetting external escape routes and the fire assembly point, which BS 5266 also expects to be lit.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Fire safety in the workplace: fire risk assessments checked 2026-09-08
See also
- Get a recorded fire risk assessment
- Fire alarm and detection to the FRA's category
- Emergency lighting full duration test— this becomes an ongoing job once you’re open →
This is item 19 of 66 in the free UK Launch Checklist. See the whole list →