Non conformities when doing emergency light testing

Sb8389 · Sep 23, 2018

hi guys
For any of you that carry out periodic emergency light testing on HMOs.
I have read through bs5266 but want to get your perspective on these issues and if you would fail the system
There are non maintained emergency lights fitted to each floor and landing so the siting of the lighting is sufficient but they have not fitted any key switch facility. They have basically wired off the existing circuit in a couple properties so you do have to isolate the circuit and all normal supply lighting to that floor to test the emergency light.
Although in one property they have wired a seperate circuit just for the emergency lights not connected to the existing lighting circuits, surely this fails based on the fact that if normal supply lighting was to trip the emergency lights would not kick in only unless there was a power cut.

Sorry for the long text guys but want your opinions on what constitute a fail when carrying out your emergency light testing.

Deleted member 26818 · Sep 23, 2018

While not having a test switch is a non-conformity, I would prefer to switch off the normal lights when testing, as it allows me to gauge whether the EM lights provide sufficient light for their purpose.
Having the EM lighting on a separate circuit to the normal lighting is a bit pointless.
I would just wire that circuit in with the normal lighting circuit it is designed to work with.

westward10 · Sep 23, 2018

See Annex K of BS5266:1. This gives a certificate for verifying an existing installation which is essentially a tick list with areas to list any non compliance and recommendations. If the fittings are maintained then they do not have to operate with the general lighting circuits.

Nigel · Sep 23, 2018

A fuse or an MCB is perfectly acceptable to be utilised as a test facility so long as it is suitable. I am certain in a HMO this would be fine.

In respect to emergency lights not energising when the local lighting fails this is certainly a non-conformity.

Nigel · Sep 23, 2018

spinlondon said:
While not having a test switch is a non-conformity, I would prefer to switch off the normal lights when testing, as it allows me to gauge whether the EM lights provide sufficient light for their purpose.
Having the EM lighting on a separate circuit to the normal lighting is a bit pointless.
I would just wire that circuit in with the normal lighting circuit it is designed to work with.

An OCPD is classed as a test switch.