Free Emergency Lighting Test Log (UK): PDF & Excel

Emergency lighting must be maintained under the Fire Safety Order, and BS 5266-1 sets the test regime: a brief monthly function test of every luminaire, and an annual test for the full rated duration (typically 3 hours). This log records both.

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Free for use within your organisation. No sign-up required. If it saves you time, a link back to this page is always appreciated.

What's in the template

• Monthly function ("flick") test sheet: areas tested, failures and locations
• Annual full-duration test record: duration, end-of-test condition, engineer details
• Defect & rectification record

How to use it

Monthly: simulate mains failure briefly (test key or breaker), walk the route, confirm every luminaire and exit sign lights. Annually: run the full duration. Batteries that fail at 2½ hours pass a flick test all year, which is exactly why the annual test exists. Full guide: emergency lighting logbooks.

Who must keep this record

The responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 holds the duty: usually the employer, the building owner or the managing agent. In Scotland the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 applies similar requirements. Article 17 requires the equipment to be kept in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair, and inspectors treat missing records as seriously as a missing system.

• Monthly function tests: trained in-house staff can do these, provided they know the system installed and can spot a fault.
• Annual full-duration tests: a competent person, in practice an electrical contractor or emergency lighting specialist who can certify the result.
• Retest after any repair or alteration: competent person, logged with what was fixed and the retest result.

How long to keep it

There is no statutory retention period for emergency lighting records. Our guide recommends at least five years, and many organisations keep them indefinitely, because the records may be needed to show historical compliance if there is an investigation after a fire. File the contractor's annual certificates with the test sheets rather than separately, so the whole compliance picture sits in one place.

What a completed entry looks like

One line per test, specific enough that a stranger could reconstruct it. Give every luminaire a unique reference matching a location plan.

• Date and test type: "14/03/2026, monthly function test", or "02/09/2026, annual full duration test, 3 hour rating".
• Who tested: "R. Shah, facilities assistant" for the monthly, or the contractor and engineer name for the annual.
• What was covered: "EL-01 to EL-24, ground and first floor escape routes", not "all of them".
• Result per luminaire: "23 pass. EL-17, rear stair half landing, failed to illuminate."
• Action and close-out: "battery pack replaced 18/03/2026, retested and passed, certificate EL-2026-044". On annual tests, also record the duration achieved against the rated duration.

FAQs

Can I run the annual full-duration test myself?

There is no legal prohibition, but BS 5266-1 calls for a competent person with sufficient knowledge and experience. Unless you hold appropriate electrical qualifications and specific training in emergency lighting systems, give the annual test to a specialist contractor who can certify it.

What if a luminaire fails the annual test?

Repair or replace it promptly and record both the fault and the remedial action. Retest after the repair to confirm the unit now holds for its full rated duration. Until it is fixed you may need temporary measures such as torches or extra supervision during darkness.

Do I need a separate log for emergency lighting and the fire alarm?

No. Separate logbooks are not legally required, and many combined fire safety logbooks cover both. What matters is that every required detail is recorded clearly and can be found quickly during an inspection.

Does an automatic self-testing system remove the need for a log?

No. Self-testing cuts the manual work, not the record keeping. You still need to download and keep the self-test reports, and a competent person still has to verify each year that the self-test function is working and that the system meets BS 5266-1.

Sources

legislation.gov.ukRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005