Key takeaways
- The Life Safety Code calls for a 30 second functional test of battery emergency lighting every month and a 90 minute test every year.
- Written records of the tests should be kept and shown to the fire inspector on request.
- Dead batteries, burned out lamps and missing units are the usual failures.
- Testing can be built into a maintenance agreement so it is never forgotten.
Emergency lighting and exit sign testing is one of those requirements nobody thinks about until a fire inspector asks for the log. Battery units sit for years doing nothing, and a battery that has quietly died will not light a stairway when the power fails. Fire codes, including the Life Safety Code, NFPA 101, expect these units to be tested on a schedule and the results written down.
The monthly 30 second test
Every month, battery powered emergency lights and exit signs should be tested for at least 30 seconds. Most units have a test button that switches them to battery. The light should come on at full brightness and stay on for the whole test. Any unit that dims, flickers or stays dark is written down and repaired.
The annual 90 minute test
Once a year, the units run on battery for the full 90 minutes they are rated for. This is the test that finds batteries that pass a short test but cannot last long enough to get people out. Many businesses schedule it after hours, since the building's normal lighting may be switched off for part of it.
Keep the records
A test that is not written down did not happen, as far as an inspector is concerned. A simple log with the date, the unit, the result and who tested it is enough. When a unit fails, record the repair as well.
What usually fails
- Batteries past their life that no longer hold a charge.
- Burned out lamps or failed LED boards in older units.
- Units covered, blocked or removed during a remodel.
- Exit signs missing where a new wall changed the path out.
Testing and repairs can be built into a commercial maintenance agreement so the log is kept for you. We also handle emergency and exit lighting as part of our commercial electrical services.
If the inspector also asks about the rest of the electrical system, an electrical inspection documents what is there and what needs attention.