Testing the electrical installation for EM lights.

[Tom Sutton]

I’m trying to find out the facts over the frequency of testing the electrical installation for EM lights.  We know the recommendation for fixed wiring is 5 years but someone says the EM lights is recommended as 3 years but they thought there was a get-out if the system was fully checked?

I received this enquiry today and I do not have Part 8 can somebody answer it for me.

[John Webb]

The new 17th edition of the IEE/IET Wiring Regs says re emergency lights:
1. Additional requirements of BS5266 may need to be taken into account.
2. Segregation of wiring for ELs to be in accordance with BS5266 (528.1 Note 2)
3. Wiring to be to BS5266
4. The recommendation for 5 years between tests is a maximum period for all installations. There is nothing in the 17th Edition specific to the frequency for the periodic tests of circuits which include ELs.

Hope that is helpful if only to say where it isn't specified!

I vaguely recollect that many makers specify battery changes at three yearly intervals for self-contained fittings? May be this is the source of three years?

[Chris Houston]

Ignoring the fire safety requirements of testing emergency lights, the testing frequency of fixed electrical installations depends on the building's use.  The Wiring Regs or guidance notes to the Regs have suggested intervals, can't remeber them off the top of my head, but it is something like this:

Licensed premises etc 1 year
Factories/heavy manufacturing 3 year
Warehouses and office 5 year

But I think it is just guidance and that the testing engineer makes his or her own judgement about when the next test is due.

I would consider that no matter how frequenty the EL is tested for safety purposes, this is separate from the fixed electrical system test and I would expect the electrician doing the latter to fully test everything even if the EL had only been done the week before.

[Tom Sutton]

Thanks Chris and John I think thats the info he wants, not testing the the system operation, but the wiring installation.

[John Webb]

The new 17th Edition now (Chapter 62) no longer makes recommendations on the frequency of testing for different occupancies. it says (para 622.1) that the frequency "shall be determined having regard to the type of installation and equipment, its use and operation, the frequency and quality of maintenance and the external influences to which it is subject."
It is likely that the recommendations for appropriate intervals may be in the IET book on Testing and Inspection, the new edition of which has recently been published but which I've not yet seen.