Emergency Lighting Testing In Romford (EML)
TISS Electrical carry out certified emergency lighting testing across Romford for shops, offices, schools and the communal areas of residential buildings, in line with BS 5266-1 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Whether you manage a unit in one of the town's shopping centres or a block of flats near the station, our engineers carry out the monthly checks and the annual 3 hour test at times that suit your building. Every visit ends with a written certificate and report, including photos of any failed fittings, so your fire safety records are ready if the London Fire Brigade or your insurer asks to see them.
TISS Electrical provide emergency lighting testing in Romford and across the London Borough of Havering, checking that the emergency lights in commercial and communal buildings come on when the power fails and stay lit long enough for everyone to get out safely.
Romford is a busy shopping and commuter centre, with The Liberty and the Mercury Mall in the town centre and Elizabeth line trains running from Romford station. Shopping centre units, offices above shops and stairwells in converted buildings all rely on emergency lighting to keep escape routes visible, and each layout needs testing in its own way.
Every TISS Electrical engineer completes a refresher course each year and arrives on site with a personalised ID pack. We can take care of both the monthly checks and the annual test, so you stay compliant without managing the schedule yourself. Tell us about your building through our contact form and we’ll come back to you with a quote.
Is Emergency Lighting Testing A Legal Requirement In Romford?
Yes, wherever your fire risk assessment says emergency lighting is needed, which covers most commercial premises and the communal areas of many residential buildings. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes the responsible person, usually the employer, owner or managing agent, accountable for keeping fire safety measures in working order. BS 5266-1 sets out how emergency lighting should be tested and recorded.
In Romford, as across Greater London, the Fire Safety Order is enforced by the London Fire Brigade, which covers around 800,000 premises in the capital. It focuses on the highest risk buildings first, such as care homes, and can issue prohibition notices where serious fire safety failings put people at risk.
How Often Does Emergency Lighting Need To Be Tested?
Emergency light testing under BS 5266-1 involves two regular tests. Once a month, each light gets a short functional test, usually with a fish key that simulates a power cut, to confirm it switches on. Once a year, every fitting has to run on battery for its full rated duration, which is 3 hours for most commercial systems.
After the annual test, the batteries typically need around 24 hours to recharge, and the building has reduced cover until they do. That’s why we plan the annual test around your working hours, for example at the end of the trading day or over a weekend, rather than just before a busy period.
What’s Included In An Emergency Lighting Test?
- Monthly flick tests using a fish key, without switching off the mains supply
- An annual 3 hour discharge test on every emergency light and illuminated exit sign
- DBS checked engineers carrying a personalised ID pack
- A certificate and written report, with photos and notes on any advisories, sent to you by email
- Clear advice on any fittings that need repairing or replacing
Get Your Emergency Lights Tested
Which Romford Buildings Need Emergency Lighting Testing?
Any building where people would need to find their way out in the dark is likely to have emergency lighting, and all of it needs regular testing. In and around Romford, that includes:
- Shops and units in shopping centres
- Offices and business centres
- Schools and nurseries
- Care homes
- Restaurants, bars and other hospitality venues
- Communal stairwells and corridors in blocks of flats and HMOs
In a shared building, more than one person can hold fire safety duties at the same time, such as a landlord for the common areas and each tenant for their own unit. The Fire Safety Order expects them to work together, so it’s worth agreeing who arranges testing for which parts of the building.
Do Self Testing Emergency Lights Still Need Checking?
Yes. Self testing fittings run their own monthly and annual tests automatically, but the results still need checking and recording in your fire safety log book. Standalone self testing fittings also can’t be scheduled, so an annual test may run during your busiest hours. It’s worth having an engineer check them as part of your regular testing.
What Happens If An Emergency Light Fails Its Test?
Any fitting that doesn’t switch on during the monthly check, or goes out before the end of the 3 hour test, is recorded on your report with a photo, so you can see exactly which light failed and where. The most common cause is a battery that no longer holds its charge, though lamps and the fittings themselves can fail too.
A failed light needs repairing or replacing before your system can be considered compliant again. Sometimes a new battery is enough, while older fittings are often better replaced, and we’ll explain which applies to each one on your report.
How Much Does Emergency Lighting Testing Cost In Romford?
The cost depends mainly on how many emergency lights the building has and whether the annual test needs to happen outside normal hours. We’ll send a written quote for you to approve before any visit is booked.
If your PAT testing or fixed wire testing is due around the same time, booking them together through our combination testing can reduce the overall cost by up to 25%.
To price the job quickly, tell us:
- Roughly how many emergency lights and exit signs there are, if you know
- Whether the fittings are self testing
- The type of building and how many floors it has
- Whether you already have a log book or previous test certificates
Areas We Cover Around Romford
Our engineers carry out emergency lighting testing across Romford and the surrounding parts of Havering and east London, including:
Questions About Emergency Lighting Testing In Romford
Maintained emergency lights stay on whenever the building is in use and switch to battery power if the mains fails, which is why they’re often used in theatres and other entertainment venues. Non-maintained lights stay off until the power fails, then switch on automatically. Both types need the same monthly and annual testing.
The Fire Safety Order covers the communal parts of a residential building, such as stairwells and corridors, so the freeholder, landlord or managing agent is usually the responsible person for testing the emergency lighting there. Lighting inside individual flats isn’t covered by the Order.
A monthly check only takes as long as it takes to switch on and inspect each fitting, so smaller sites are usually finished quickly. The annual test takes longer, because every light has to stay on for its full 3 hours, followed by around 24 hours for the batteries to recharge.
Yes. BS 5266-1 says records of every test and repair should be kept in a log book. Your emergency lighting certificate and report from each visit give you the dates, results and details of any failed fittings, ready to add to it.
Your fire risk assessment should identify where emergency lighting is needed, and the assessor may ask to see your test records when reviewing it. The testing itself is a separate job carried out by an engineer, and the results feed into your next assessment.
Monthly checks can be done by a trained member of staff, but the annual 3 hour test and any repairs are best left to a qualified engineer. TISS Electrical engineers are fully trained in emergency lighting testing and complete a refresher course every year, and you can have us handle both tests so every result is carried out and recorded the same way.