CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskMonthly flick test, annual full-duration discharge, three-yearly inspection -- what each involves and exactly what the log must contain.
In a care home, residents cannot independently navigate to safety in darkness. Emergency lighting must illuminate escape routes, exits, and high-risk task areas for the full duration of any power failure. The system is governed by BS 5266-1 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, making it a statutory compliance requirement.
BS 5266-1 requires a short-duration test every month. The test simulates a mains failure and confirms each luminaire activates. For a 3-hour rated system, the monthly test is typically 15-30 minutes. The log must record: the date, the name of the person carrying out the test, which luminaires were tested, the result for each, and any remedial action required and taken.
Once per year, the system must be run for its full rated duration -- typically three hours for maintained systems. Every luminaire must sustain rated illumination throughout. This test is typically carried out by a specialist contractor and must be documented with a completion certificate. The annual test is the only way to confirm battery integrity.
The emergency lighting log is one of the first documents a Fire and Rescue Service inspector requests. It must contain, for every test: date, tester's name, areas covered, test type, result for each luminaire (pass/fail), and any remedial action taken. Gaps in the log -- missed months -- are treated as failures.
Any luminaire that fails a test must be reported, repaired, and re-tested immediately. The repair and re-test must be logged with the same detail as the original test. Do not remove failed luminaires from the log -- the record of failure and remediation is evidence of active management.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.