Form library · Fire safety

Emergency lighting test log

An emergency lighting log book for the monthly function test and the annual full duration test. Add each luminaire or circuit, scan its label, record the charge indicator and a pass or fail, and photograph any fault. On the annual test the form checks the test ran for the full rated duration and asks about cover while the batteries recharge, and any failure asks whether the responsible person was told. Every question is listed below, and you can fill the live form in on this page.

Try the live form ↓Use it in SiteSurvey See completed form (PDF) ↗

Ready to use from the form library, and every question is yours to edit. Trial from £1, cancel any time.

Try it on your phone

Try it on this phone

Fill in the emergency lighting test on your phone now

See how the emergency lighting test looks on your phone

Scan the code with your phone camera. It opens the real form, no sign-up needed.

Open the live example and fill it in, just as your team would on site. No sign-up needed.

See it on this phone

Every question is editable. Add this form to your account, then change the wording, add or remove questions and options, and make it fit your own jobs.

Or start your trial with this form ready →

Prefer paper? Download a printable copy: PDF or Word

How often should emergency lighting be tested?

Home Office guidance says testing would typically include a daily visual check of any central controls, a monthly function test, operating the test facility for long enough to make sure each emergency lamp lights, and an annual full discharge test. Batteries typically take 24 hours to recharge after a full discharge, and the premises should not be re-occupied until the emergency lighting is fully working unless other arrangements have been made. It is good practice to keep a record of tests.

Last updated 17 October 2026. Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 17 October 2026 against the Home Office guide Fire safety risk assessment: offices and shops, article 14 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Try the emergency lighting test form live

Answer a few questions and watch it adapt. Your answers are not saved, and any photos you add are deleted within the hour.

Live form: Emergency Lighting Test RecordOpen full screen ↗

See a filled-in example

Open the completed example to see fictional readings, notes, photos and calculations. Choose Blank form to try entering your own answers.

Want to see one filled in? See a completed emergency lighting test report (PDF), made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit.

Every question in the emergency lighting test template

An emergency lighting test record: monthly function tests and the annual full duration test for each luminaire or circuit, with charge indicators, faults, photos and a warning when a test ends early. 3 sections and 60 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.

Make it your own: every question is editable

This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.

Details you only enter once

Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.

Project: the project name
Client: the project's customer
Site: the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
Site address: the site address, from the space or the project

Test details

ProjectShort answer
Fills in from the project name
ClientShort answer
Fills in from the project's customer
Site*Short answer
Fills in from the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
Site addressShort answer
Fills in from the site address, from the space or the project
Date of the test*Date
TimeTime
Tested by, name and role*Short answer
Responsible person for the premisesShort answer
Which test?*Choose one
- Monthly function test
- Annual full duration test
Type of systemChoose one
- Self-contained luminaires
- Central battery system
- Both
Date of the last monthly function testDate
Before today's test. From the log book or the last record.
Date of the last annual full duration testDate
Before today's test, if today is an annual test.
Days since the last monthly testWorked out by the form
Shown when “Date of the last monthly function test” is answered and “Date of the test” is answered
Days since the last full duration testWorked out by the form
Shown when “Date of the last annual full duration test” is answered and “Date of the test” is answered
Routine tests overdueWorked out by the form
The monthly test counts as overdue after 31 days, the annual test after 366 days.
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
CheckMore than a month since the last monthly function test. Record why it was missed and get the monthly tests back on track.
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
CheckMore than a year since the last full duration test. Book the annual full discharge test the Home Office guide describes.
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
GuidanceHome Office guide Fire safety risk assessment: offices and shops. Testing would typically include a daily visual check of any central controls, a monthly function test, operating the test facility for long enough to make sure each emergency lamp lights, and an annual full discharge test. It is good practice to keep a record of tests.
CheckSources. BS 5266-1 (Emergency lighting, code of practice) and BS EN 50172 (Emergency escape lighting systems) set a monthly function test of every luminaire and an annual test for the full rated duration, with results kept in a log book. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17, requires the responsible person to keep emergency lighting maintained in efficient working order and good repair, by a competent person.
Rated duration of the system (hours)Number
From the design or commissioning documents for the system.
Shown when “Which test?” is “Annual full duration test”
How long did the test run? (minutes)Number
Shown when “Which test?” is “Annual full duration test”
Rated duration covered (%)Worked out by the form
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Minutes short of the rated durationWorked out by the form
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
WarningTest not complete. The test did not run for the full rated duration. Record it as incomplete and arrange a repeat.
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
CheckAfter a full discharge test, batteries typically take 24 hours to recharge. The Home Office guide says the premises should not be re-occupied until the emergency lighting is fully working again, unless other arrangements have been made.
Shown when “Which test?” is “Annual full duration test”
Are other arrangements in place until the batteries have recharged?Yes or No
Shown when “Which test?” is “Annual full duration test”

Luminaires tested

Record the results forChoose one
- Each luminaire
- Each circuit
Luminaires by floor or area
Repeat for each entry. Each one asks:
- Floor or area*Short answer
  For example Ground floor, First floor east wing or Plant room
- Luminaires or circuits in this area
  Repeat for each entry. Each one asks:
  - Luminaire or circuit reference*Short answer
  - Scan the luminaire labelScan a label: asset number, serial number
    Optional. Scan the label or tag to capture its numbers.
  - Position in this area*Short answer
  - TypeChoose one
    - Non-maintained bulkhead
    - Maintained bulkhead
    - Exit sign
    - Downlight
    - Twin spot
    - Central battery fitting
    - Other
  - Charge indicatorChoose one
    - Lit
    - Not lit
    - No indicator fitted
  - Result*Choose one
    - Pass
    - Fail
  - What was wrong?Choose one
    - Did not light
    - Went out before the end of the test
    - Dim
    - Charge indicator not lit
    - Damaged or missing diffuser
    - Missing
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - Went out after (minutes)Number
    From the start of the test. Shows how far short of the rated duration this fitting fell.
    Shown when “What was wrong?” is “Went out before the end of the test”
  - WarningFailed. Record the fault in the log book and tell the responsible person before you leave. The area this covers may not be lit if the normal lighting fails.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - Photos of the faultPhotos
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - Action taken or neededNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- This floor or area: luminaires or circuits testedWorked out by the form
- This floor or area: passedWorked out by the form
- This floor or area: failedWorked out by the form
- This floor or area: charge indicator not litWorked out by the form
- This floor or area: went out before the endWorked out by the form
Luminaires or circuits testedWorked out by the form
PassedWorked out by the form
FailedWorked out by the form
Passed (%)Worked out by the form
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Charge indicator not litWorked out by the form
Went out before the endWorked out by the form
WarningFailures found. Each failed fitting may leave its area unlit if the normal lighting fails: tell the responsible person before you leave and set an action for each.
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Has the responsible person been told about the failures?Yes or No
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Did the test cover every luminaire in the building?Yes or No
Which were missed, and when will they be done?Notes
Shown when “Did the test cover every luminaire in the building?” is No
Has this test been entered in the emergency lighting log book?Yes or No

Actions and sign-off

Are further actions needed?Yes or No
Further actions
Repeat for each action. Each one asks:
Shown when “Are further actions needed?” is Yes
- What needs doing?*Notes
- PriorityChoose one
  - Urgent
  - High
  - Medium
  - Low
- Who will do it?Short answer
- Due dateDate
- StatusChoose one
  - Open
  - In progress
  - Completed
Next monthly function test dueDate
BS 5266-1: every month.
Days until the monthly testWorked out by the form
Shown when “Date of the test” is answered and “Next monthly function test due” is answered
Next annual full duration test dueDate
BS 5266-1: every 12 months.
Days until the annual testWorked out by the form
Shown when “Date of the test” is answered and “Next annual full duration test due” is answered
CheckCheck the dates. A next test date is before the date of this test.
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Inspector name*Short answer
Position or companyShort answer
Inspector signatureSignature
CheckSigning records what was found on the day. It does not make unsafe equipment safe or replace a thorough examination, design check or service by a competent person.

See it filled in

A completed emergency lighting test report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.

See completed form (PDF) ↗

Emergency lighting test FAQs

What is the difference between the monthly and annual test?

The monthly function test is short: operate the test switch for long enough to see each emergency lamp light. The annual test runs the system on its batteries for its full rated duration. Choose the test at the start of the form; the annual test asks for the rated duration and how long the test ran, and warns you if it ended early.

How do I know the rated duration?

From the design or commissioning documents for the system. Do not assume it: a 3 hour system tested for 1 hour has not had a full duration test. The form compares the minutes the test ran with the rated hours you enter, and warns when the test ended early.

What happens after the annual test?

Batteries typically take 24 hours to recharge after a full discharge. The Home Office guide says the premises should not be re-occupied until the emergency lighting is working again, unless other arrangements are in place. The form asks whether those arrangements are in place.

Can I record results by circuit instead of by luminaire?

Yes. Choose each luminaire or each circuit at the start of the luminaires section. Each entry has its own reference, location, type, charge indicator, pass or fail, and for a failure the fault, photos and the action taken. The form counts passes and failures.

Is testing emergency lighting a legal requirement?

In England and Wales, article 14 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires emergency routes and exits that need lighting to have emergency lighting if the normal lighting fails, and article 17 requires the responsible person to keep that equipment subject to a suitable system of maintenance and in efficient working order. Regular tests with a written record are a practical way to show this.

How is this different from the fire safety checklist?

The fire safety checklist covers a whole routine visit: extinguishers, emergency lighting, the weekly alarm test, escape routes and drills. This log goes deeper on emergency lighting alone, with a label scan for each luminaire and the full duration test checks.

Fire risk assessments software Fire alarm test log Fire safety checklist Fire extinguisher inspection checklist All forms in the library

Related templates

Templates that go with the emergency lighting test form

Fire door inspection checklist

Door by door checks (gaps, seals, closers, signage, glazing), 12 month flat entrance door record and remedial work list.

7 sections · 91 questions · See every question →

Fire safety checklist

Routine fire safety checks: extinguishers, emergency lighting tests, the weekly alarm test, escape routes, signs and fire drills, with actions.

8 sections · 108 questions · See every question →

Fire risk assessment template

Fire risk assessment following the five steps in GOV.UK guidance: hazards, people at risk, fire precautions, emergency plan and training, findings with actions and review.

7 sections · 89 questions · See every question →

PEEP template

A PEEP for one person who would need help to leave a building in a fire: how they are warned, their route, refuges, equipment, helpers, practice and review.

4 sections · 47 questions · See every question →

Browse all 315 forms in the library

Use this emergency lighting test form with your team

Add it from the form library in one click, change any question, and every completed form becomes a branded PDF report.

Start your trial →