EMERGENCY LIGHTING · COMPLIANCE

Emergency lighting testing and certification

Emergency lighting only earns its keep on the day the mains fails - which is exactly the day nobody can test it. That is why the standard builds in a routine of small, regular tests, so the system is known to work before it is ever needed. Here is the regime Irish businesses should follow.

In Ireland, emergency lighting should be installed and maintained to IS 3217. That means a brief monthly functional test of every fitting, an annual full-duration test (usually 3 hours) to confirm the batteries last their rated time, and a written logbook recording every test and result. Commissioning and periodic testing should be certified, and any faults corrected promptly. The building owner or occupier is responsible for keeping the system tested and maintained.

What IS 3217 requires

IS 3217 is the Irish standard for emergency lighting. It covers where emergency lighting is needed - escape routes, exits, changes of level, firefighting equipment and other key points - and how it must be tested and maintained through its life. Meeting IS 3217 is how a business demonstrates its emergency lighting is fit for purpose as part of its wider fire-safety duties.

The testing regime

The logbook and certificate

Every test, result and remedial action goes in an emergency lighting logbook kept on site. Installation and periodic testing should be certified. Together these are the evidence that the system has been maintained to IS 3217 - the paperwork a fire officer, insurer or auditor will ask to see.

• The monthly functional test can be done by a trained person on site,
• but the annual full-duration test, certification and any remedial work are best handled by a competent contractor.
• Arkomax tests, maintains and certifies emergency lighting for businesses across Ireland; see our emergency lighting service.

The monthly test is deliberately brief so it can be done without leaving the building unprotected for long; the annual test is the demanding one, because a battery that lights up for a second but fails after ten minutes would leave an escape route dark in a real evacuation.

Who should carry it out

The monthly functional test can be done by a trained person on site, but the annual full-duration test, certification and any remedial work are best handled by a competent contractor. Arkomax tests, maintains and certifies emergency lighting for businesses across Ireland; see our emergency lighting service.

Frequently asked questions

• How often should emergency lighting be tested in Ireland?

  To IS 3217, carry out a brief functional test monthly and a full-duration test annually (usually 3 hours), recording each in the logbook. Commissioning and significant changes should also be tested and certified.
• What is the 3-hour emergency lighting test?

  It is the annual full-duration test: the mains is isolated and the emergency fittings must stay lit for their full rated period, typically three hours, proving the batteries will last through a real evacuation. It is best done when the building can be left to recharge afterwards.
• Do I need an emergency lighting certificate?

  Yes. Commissioning and periodic testing should be certified, and results kept in the logbook. These records demonstrate compliance with IS 3217 and are what insurers and fire officers expect to see.