Running a business in Wigan or Chorley keeps you busy. Between managing staff, serving customers, and watching the bottom line, it’s easy for “hidden” maintenance tasks to slip down the to-do list.
One area we frequently see local businesses neglect—often unknowingly—is their emergency lighting system.
As the senior lead electrician at PW Electrical, I cannot stress this point enough: emergency lighting is not an optional extra; it is a legal requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Its sole purpose is to provide enough light for your staff and visitors to safely escape the building in the event of a mains power failure.
If you are a business owner, landlord, or responsible person for a premises in Standish or the wider area, here is what you need to know to stay compliant and keep people safe.
It’s More Than just a Green Light
Many business owners see the little green LED charging indicator on their emergency lights and assume everything is fine. That green light only shows that the battery is getting power; it doesn’t indicate if it will last when needed.
Under BS 5266-1, the British Standard for emergency lighting, you have two main responsibilities:
1. The Monthly “Flick Test”
The Monthly Flick Test procedure is a short functional test. Someone on your team (usually a fire marshal or premises manager) needs to use a test key to simulate a power cut for a short period—usually just a few minutes.
- Purpose: To check that every emergency light illuminates correctly and is clean and undamaged.
- Record It: You must log this test in your site’s fire safety logbook.
2. The Annual “Full Duration” Drain Test
Once a year, a competent person (a qualified electrician) must perform a full duration test. We isolate the mains power to the lighting circuits and leave the emergency lights running for their full rated duration—typically 3 hours.
- Purpose: To prove that the backup batteries can last long enough to evacuate the building safely, even if it takes a long time.
- Common Failures: We often find lights that work for 20 minutes and then fade. These units have failed and must be replaced immediately.
Are You Putting Your Wigan Business at Risk?
If you cannot produce an up-to-date logbook with evidence of monthly tests and an annual certificate from a qualified electrician, your insurance could be invalid in the event of a fire. More importantly, you are putting lives at risk.
We work with many local offices in Standish, retail shops in Wigan town centre, and schools across Chorley to take this headache away. We can schedule annual tests at convenient times to minimise disruption to your operations.
Don’t wait for an inspection or an emergency to discover that your system is inadequate.
Need a compliance check? Ensure your business is safe and legal. Call PW Electrical today on 01257 402 004 to book your annual emergency lighting test, or visit pwelec.co.uk for more information.
Serving commercial clients in Standish, Wigan, Chorley, and the Northwest.
