Battery-backed escape route lighting and EXIT signs across Mid Somerset. Designed to BS 5266-1, installed and certified by NAPIT-approved electricians, serviced on a monthly + annual contract. One contractor for the full life of the system.
07889 334849
NAPIT
CHAS
City & Guilds
TrustMark
Part P
BS 7671Every install follows BS 5266-1:2016 from the design stage through to commissioning and service. We install slim addressable LED luminaires from Knightsbridge, JCC, Aurora and Eterna, certify the system on handover, and offer the monthly function test and annual 3-hour discharge test as a contracted service so the logbook stays current and your fire risk assessment file stays clean.
Free site survey to map the building's escape routes, open areas and high-risk task areas. We calculate the required minimum illuminance (1 lux on the centre line of the escape route, 0.5 lux on open-area floors, 10% of normal task lighting on high-risk tasks) and produce a layout drawing showing every luminaire, EXIT sign and final exit. Drawing supplied as part of the quote so you can see exactly what's going where.
Self-contained slim LED bulkheads, recessed downlights and edge-lit running-man EXIT signs from Knightsbridge, JCC, Aurora and Eterna. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery cells where available for 5-7 year service life. Surface, recessed or wall-mount as the architecture demands. IP65 rated luminaires for kitchens, plant rooms and external escape doors.
Self-contained systems have a battery in each luminaire and are the most common choice -- simple, cost-effective, easy to add to. Best for offices, retail, hospitality and small-to-medium commercial.
Central battery (CSPS) systems run all luminaires from one centralised battery cabinet -- preferred for large premises, multi-storey buildings, hospitals and care homes where centralised testing and longer battery life justify the higher install cost. We design and install both.
Self-test luminaires automatically run their own monthly function test and annual discharge test, log the result, and flash a fault LED if anything fails -- removing the manual switch-and-stopwatch routine. Addressable systems (DALI emergency, Knightsbridge SmartTest) report each luminaire's status to a central panel and produce a printed compliance log. Ideal for large sites, multi-occupancy and premises where manual testing is impractical.
Final-circuit cabling to each luminaire from the same circuit as the local lighting (so a circuit failure triggers the changeover correctly), in T&E, singles in conduit, or LSZH where required. Fire-rated containment, intumescent sealing at all compartment penetrations, and proper segregation from data and other LV per BS 7671. We do not parallel emergency luminaires off random unrelated circuits -- it defeats the entire point of the system.
Every install is commissioned on handover: every luminaire activated, the full 3-hour discharge test completed, EXIT sign visibility verified at every decision point, and the BS 5266-1 emergency lighting completion certificate issued. We supply a printed emergency lighting logbook with the system and pre-fill the install records. 12-month parts & labour warranty on installation.
BS 5266-1 requires monthly short-duration function tests and an annual 3-hour discharge test. We deliver both as a contracted service: every luminaire tested and observed, every EXIT sign confirmed, batteries verified, logbook updated, and a service certificate issued for your fire risk assessment file. If a fitting fails the test we replace it the same day where stock allows.
Where you also have a BS 5839-1 fire alarm system we coordinate the surveys, tests and certificates so one engineer attends, one set of paperwork is issued, and the fire risk assessment file is complete. Emergency lighting is also tested as part of an EICR in any premises where it's installed -- both checks become a single visit.
The Fire Safety Order applies to any non-domestic premises with people in them. The fire risk assessment determines the system category, but in practice almost every commercial or multi-occupancy building needs emergency lighting to BS 5266-1.
Classrooms, halls, escape corridors
HTM-aligned escape provision
Maintained EXIT signs, function rooms
Front + rear of house, stock rooms
Fit-out and refurb integration
Common parts, stairwells, exits
High-bay anti-panic lighting
Places of assembly, escape signage
BS 5266-1 emergency lighting installed and signed off on handover. Logbook supplied, fire risk assessment file updated, ready for inspection.
BS 5266-1 codes a luminaire by its mode (M = maintained, NM = non-maintained) and its rated battery duration in hours. Most premises in Mid Somerset specify M3 / NM3 -- 3 hours of battery autonomy. We design the right mix for the building.
Always lit (uses normal lighting circuits) and stays lit on battery for 3 hours after mains failure. Used for EXIT signs in places of assembly — cinemas, theatres, restaurants, function rooms — and any escape route that is normally dim or dark. The most common EXIT sign mode.
Off in normal use, switches on automatically when the local final circuit loses mains supply, and runs for 3 hours on battery. Used for escape route lighting in offices, warehouses, back-of-house corridors and any space lit during occupancy. The most common escape route luminaire mode.
Lower-cost 1-hour autonomy, only acceptable where premises can be evacuated and re-occupied within 1 hour and the fire risk assessment supports it. Rare in practice — most commercial premises specify 3-hour. We will tell you straight if 1-hour is appropriate or if you need to upgrade.
We quote every job after a free site survey because no two buildings have the same escape route layout. The figures below are typical "from" prices to give you a rough idea -- final price is confirmed in writing with VAT @ 20% on a separate line.
Typical small office, salon or retail unit: 4-6 self-contained NM3 LED bulkheads + 1 maintained EXIT sign, surface mount, certification on handover. Final price confirmed after free site survey.
Restaurant, surgery, mid-size office, small care home: 10-20 luminaires across multiple zones, 2-4 EXIT signs, full BS 5266-1 design layout, commissioning and 3-hour discharge test included.
Hotel, school, multi-storey office, larger care home: addressable / self-test or central-battery system, full layout drawings, phased install if required, commissioning and certification.
Annual visit: every luminaire function-tested, full 3-hour discharge test, every EXIT sign verified, batteries checked, logbook updated, certificate issued. Price scales with luminaire count. Monthly function-test contracts available.
Every project follows the same five-step process. No surprises, no scope creep.
We walk the building with your fire risk assessment, map escape routes, identify open areas and high-risk task areas, count required luminaires and EXIT signs.
BS 5266-1 layout drawing produced. Written quote issued with luminaire schedule, scope of work, and VAT @ 20% on a separate line. No obligation.
Slim LED luminaires and EXIT signs installed with proper circuit segregation, fire-rated containment, intumescent sealing at compartment penetrations.
Every luminaire activated, full 3-hour discharge test completed, EXIT sign visibility verified, BS 5266-1 completion certificate issued.
Printed logbook supplied, monthly + annual service scheduled. Certificates lodged for your fire risk assessment and insurance file.
Quick answers to the things customers most often ask before booking a survey.
Yes for almost every business premises. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to ensure escape routes are illuminated where necessary in the event of mains failure. The Building Regulations Approved Document B and BS 5266-1:2016 set the design standard. In practice that captures offices, shops, restaurants, schools, care homes, hotels, GP surgeries, multi-occupancy buildings, and almost any premises where the public or staff need to evacuate when the lights go out. Domestic-only single-family homes are usually exempt.
BS 5266-1 is the standard for emergency lighting — the battery-backed luminaires and EXIT signs that come on if the mains supply fails. BS 5839-1 is the standard for fire alarm and detection systems — panels, call points, sounders and detectors. They are two separate systems, two separate standards, and two separate certificates. We design and install both, and they are usually surveyed at the same time because the legal trigger (the fire risk assessment under the Fire Safety Order) is the same.
BS 5266-1 requires two routine tests. Monthly: a short function test where every luminaire is briefly switched to battery to confirm the lamp lights and the changeover circuit works. Annually: a full 3-hour duration discharge test where the system runs on battery only for the full rated duration, every fitting is observed at the start and end, and the result is logged. Both tests must be recorded in an emergency lighting logbook held with the fire risk assessment. We deliver both as a contracted service with certificates issued each visit.
No — for two reasons. Legally, emergency lighting is fixed wiring connected to the mains supply, so it falls under Part P of the Building Regulations and must be installed by a competent person registered with NAPIT, NICEIC or equivalent. Practically, BS 5266-1 design (lux levels on the escape route, sign placement, open-area anti-panic coverage, high-risk task area lighting) is a calculated discipline, not a guess. A self-installed system that fails on the night of a fire is the worst possible outcome — both for the people inside and for the responsible person under the Fire Safety Order.
Maintained luminaires are always lit (used as normal lighting too) and stay lit on battery if mains fails. Used for EXIT signs in places of assembly (cinemas, theatres, restaurants, function rooms) where they must be visible at all times, and for escape route lighting in spaces that are normally dark or dimmed. Non-maintained luminaires are off in normal use and only switch on when mains supply to the local final circuit is lost. Used for escape route lighting in offices, warehouses and back-of-house corridors where general lighting is on during occupancy. Most premises end up with a mix — maintained EXIT signs plus non-maintained escape route luminaires. We design the layout per BS 5266-1 Section 5.
Call Dan to book a free site survey. We measure up, design to BS 5266-1, and give you a written quote with VAT @ 20% on a separate line. No obligation.
Call Dan Stevens 07889 334849 Or Dan Street 07983 106928