CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskBS 5266-1 requires that emergency lighting systems are tested monthly (short duration) and annually (full rated duration). For care homes, the annual test must demonstrate that all luminaires maintain illumination for the full rated duration -- typically three hours for maintained systems.
BS 5266-1 sets out a monthly short-duration functional test, in which the mains supply is briefly interrupted to confirm every luminaire switches to battery backup and illuminates correctly, and an annual full-duration test, in which the system is run on battery power for its full rated duration -- commonly three hours for a maintained system -- to confirm the batteries can genuinely sustain adequate light output for the entire time residents and staff might need to evacuate.
A luminaire that switches on correctly during a brief monthly test can still fail well before the end of a three-hour discharge if its battery is degraded, which is precisely why the annual full-duration test exists as a separate, more demanding check. Cutting the annual test short to avoid leaving escape routes on battery power for the full period defeats its purpose, since a battery that fails at hour two would not be identified, and the installation would be assumed compliant when it is not.
A complete log records, for every test, the date, the identity of the person conducting it, which luminaires or zones were tested, the outcome for each, and details of any remedial action taken together with its completion date. For the annual test specifically, the log should confirm the full rated duration was achieved and record the actual illumination performance observed, not simply that the system was switched to battery mode.
During a fire safety audit, an incomplete or missing emergency lighting log is one of the most commonly raised observations, because it is straightforward to check and reveals a great deal about the overall standard of fire safety management on site. A gap in the log is treated as equivalent evidence to the system not having been tested at all, since there is nothing to demonstrate it would function correctly if needed during an actual evacuation.
Schedule the annual full-duration test for a period of lower occupancy and brief staff in advance so escape routes on battery power are properly supervised. Keep the emergency lighting log alongside the fire risk assessment and fire log book so a single compliance file can be produced on request, and set a recurring reminder well ahead of each monthly and annual due date to avoid gaps building up over a busy period.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.