Emergency lighting is an important part of fire safety in any retail environment. If the normal power supply fails, customers and employees still need to be able to identify escape routes, find exits and move through the premises safely. In a shop, supermarket, department store or retail unit, effective emergency lighting can make a significant difference during a power failure or other emergency.
For retail businesses, compliance is about more than having emergency lights installed. The system needs to be appropriately designed, maintained, tested and recorded. The responsible person must also ensure that fire safety arrangements remain suitable as the premises change over time.
William Hale Fire and Security provides professional emergency lighting and fire safety services for commercial premises, helping businesses maintain reliable systems and appropriate testing arrangements.
With the current BS 5266-1:2025 standard now in place, retailers should also be aware of the latest guidance surrounding the design and application of emergency lighting systems. The revised standard was published by BSI in October 2025 and replaced the previous 2016 edition.
What Does Emergency Lighting Compliance Mean for Retail Stores?
Emergency lighting compliance means ensuring that the lighting system provided for emergencies is suitable for the premises, operates when required and is properly maintained.
A retail store can contain numerous areas where emergency illumination may be necessary. These can include customer areas, corridors, staircases, stockrooms, staff rooms, offices, toilets, plant rooms and escape routes.
The precise requirements will depend on the building and its risk assessment. There is no single emergency lighting layout that applies identically to every shop.
The purpose is to provide sufficient illumination to help people:
- Find and follow escape routes
- Identify final exits
- Navigate stairs and changes in level
- Locate fire alarm call points
- Identify firefighting equipment
- Move safely through areas affected by a power failure
- Avoid unnecessary confusion or panic
- Leave the building safely
BS 5266-1:2025 provides recommendations and guidance covering the design, installation and wiring of emergency lighting systems. The updated standard has also expanded its scope to cover local area lighting and standby lighting alongside emergency escape lighting.
Who Is Responsible for Emergency Lighting in a Retail Store?
The person responsible for fire safety within the premises has an important role in ensuring emergency lighting is maintained and tested.
For many businesses, this will involve a designated responsible person who oversees fire safety arrangements. In larger retail organisations, responsibility may be shared between store management, facilities teams, property managers and external contractors.
The key issue is that someone must have clear responsibility for ensuring the system remains suitable and that required testing takes place.
The responsible person should understand:
- Where emergency lighting is installed
- How the system is tested
- When tests are due
- Where testing records are kept
- What to do when a fault is identified
- Who is responsible for remedial work
- Whether changes to the premises affect the system
Routine testing can sometimes be carried out by appropriately instructed staff, depending on the installation and test arrangements. More complex inspection, servicing and remedial work should be undertaken by a competent person.
Government guidance for shops and offices states that emergency escape lighting should be regularly tested and properly maintained, with routine tests and annual testing by a competent person.
How Often Should Emergency Lighting Be Tested?
Regular testing is one of the most important parts of emergency lighting compliance.
For retail premises, the commonly used testing schedule includes regular visual checks, monthly functional testing and an annual full-duration test.
| Test | Frequency | Main purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Visual checks | Regularly | Identify obvious damage, obstructions or faults |
| Functional test | Monthly | Confirm emergency fittings illuminate |
| Full-duration test | Annually | Confirm the system operates for its rated duration |
| Fault checks | As required | Investigate and resolve failures |
| Retesting | After repairs | Confirm remedial work has restored operation |
Government guidance for offices and shops describes a daily visual check of central controls, a monthly function test and an annual full discharge test. It also recommends keeping records of testing.
The precise testing method should take account of the installed system, manufacturer’s instructions and the applicable standards.
Monthly Emergency Lighting Testing Checklist
A monthly test is designed to confirm that the emergency lighting operates when the normal lighting supply is simulated as having failed.
The test should be carried out at an appropriate time, particularly where the system may need time to recharge afterwards.
During the test, the relevant emergency fittings should be checked to make sure they illuminate correctly.
A simple retail monthly testing checklist can include:
| Check | Completed |
|---|---|
| Test facility operated correctly | ☐ |
| Emergency luminaires illuminated | ☐ |
| Illuminated exit signs operated | ☐ |
| Fittings appeared clean and undamaged | ☐ |
| Escape routes remained adequately illuminated | ☐ |
| Fire safety equipment remained identifiable | ☐ |
| No obvious obstructions were present | ☐ |
| Faults recorded | ☐ |
| Normal lighting restored | ☐ |
| Test entered into logbook | ☐ |
The duration and method of the functional test should be appropriate to the particular installation.
A monthly test should not simply be treated as an opportunity to switch a single emergency light on and off. The relevant system should be assessed to establish that the emergency fittings are responding as intended.
What Is an Annual Emergency Lighting Test?
The annual test is more extensive than the monthly functional test.
It involves testing the emergency lighting system for its full rated duration. This is important because a fitting may illuminate successfully during a short monthly test while still having a battery or other component that cannot maintain operation for the required period.
A full-duration test can identify problems such as:
- Weak batteries
- Battery deterioration
- Charging faults
- Failing luminaires
- LED or lamp problems
- Electrical faults
- Other components reaching the end of their service life
Government guidance states that emergency lighting and other fire safety systems should be tested and maintained annually by a competent person. It also highlights the need to take care following a full discharge test because batteries may require around 24 hours to recharge.
Retailers therefore need to plan annual testing carefully.
A full-duration test should not be arranged without considering what happens to the premises afterwards. If the emergency lighting system has not fully recharged, appropriate arrangements may be necessary before the building is occupied again.
Emergency Lighting Compliance Checklist for Retailers
Having a simple compliance checklist can make ongoing management much easier.
A retail business should be able to answer yes to the following questions:
Emergency Lighting System
- Are emergency lights installed where required?
- Are escape routes adequately illuminated?
- Are final exits clearly identifiable?
- Are emergency signs visible?
- Are important changes in direction or level appropriately illuminated?
- Can firefighting equipment and fire alarm call points be identified?
- Has the system been reviewed following building alterations?
Testing
- Are routine checks being carried out?
- Is a monthly functional test scheduled?
- Has the annual full-duration test been completed?
- Are faults investigated promptly?
- Are repaired fittings retested?
Records
- Is there an emergency lighting logbook?
- Are test dates recorded?
- Are faults documented?
- Are remedial works recorded?
- Are relevant inspection or maintenance documents retained?
Premises Changes
- Has the shop layout changed?
- Have new partitions been installed?
- Has shelving been repositioned?
- Have escape routes changed?
- Have displays or signs obstructed emergency fittings?
- Has a refurbishment affected the existing emergency lighting arrangement?
This checklist can be incorporated into a wider fire safety management system.
Where Should Emergency Lights Be Located in a Shop?
Emergency lighting should be designed around the requirements of the particular premises rather than installed simply according to the number of rooms.
Important areas can include escape routes, stairs, changes of direction and changes in floor level. Emergency lighting can also be needed around final exits and in locations where essential fire safety equipment needs to remain identifiable during an emergency.
Retail environments can present additional challenges because the internal arrangement is often designed around customer flow and merchandising.
Shelving, promotional displays and temporary stands can alter visibility across the store. A fitting that was suitable when the system was originally installed may become less effective if the surrounding layout changes.
The location of emergency luminaires should therefore be considered alongside the building’s current layout and fire risk assessment.
Emergency Exit Signs in Retail Premises
Emergency lighting and exit signage often work together.
Customers may be unfamiliar with the building, especially in large shops or retail premises with multiple exits. Clearly visible exit signs can help direct people towards a safe escape route when normal lighting is unavailable.
Signs should not be hidden behind stock, displays, advertising boards or other fixtures.
Retailers should pay particular attention to this following:
- Store refits
- Seasonal displays
- New shelving
- Changes to merchandising layouts
- Installation of suspended signs
- Internal partitions
- Changes to doors or escape routes
A simple obstruction can reduce the effectiveness of an otherwise correctly functioning emergency lighting system.
Emergency Lighting and Retail Refurbishments
A refurbishment should trigger a review of emergency lighting.
Changing the internal layout can alter escape routes and affect the areas that require illumination. Moving walls, adding rooms, changing stair access or creating new stock areas can all affect the original emergency lighting design.
Even seemingly minor changes can be relevant.
For example, adding a large shelving unit beneath an emergency luminaire could affect how light reaches the floor. A new partition could create a corridor that was not present when the system was designed.
Retail businesses should therefore avoid assuming that an existing emergency lighting system remains appropriate after every refurbishment.
The fire risk assessment should also be reviewed when significant changes are made to the premises.
What Happens If Emergency Lighting Fails?
A failed emergency light should be investigated rather than simply marked down as a minor maintenance issue.
The seriousness of a failure will depend on its location and effect on the overall emergency lighting arrangement.
For example, a failure affecting a key section of an escape route may require more urgent attention than a fitting in an area that has adequate alternative illumination.
Possible causes include:
| Fault | Possible cause |
|---|---|
| Light does not illuminate | Lamp, LED, battery or electrical fault |
| Light operates briefly | Battery deterioration |
| Charging indicator shows a fault | Charging circuit or battery problem |
| Exit sign is not illuminated | LED, electrical or battery fault |
| Repeated failures | Ageing component or underlying system issue |
| Reduced visibility | Dirty fitting or obstruction |
| Several fittings fail | Potential wider electrical or system issue |
The appropriate repair will depend on the equipment installed and the fault identified.
Once remedial work has been completed, the relevant fitting should be tested again.
Keeping an Emergency Lighting Logbook
Good record keeping is an important part of emergency lighting management.
A logbook provides evidence that testing and maintenance are taking place and creates a useful history of the system.
Records can include:
- Dates of monthly tests
- Annual test dates
- Test results
- Faults identified
- Repairs completed
- Components replaced
- Recommendations
- Details of inspections
- Relevant certificates
- Other maintenance information
The government guidance for shops and offices specifically states that keeping a record of emergency lighting tests is good practice.
For larger retailers, digital records can make it easier to manage multiple premises, but the important consideration is that records remain accessible, accurate and up to date.
What Should Be Recorded After a Failed Test?
If an emergency lighting test identifies a fault, the record should clearly show what was found and what action is being taken.
A useful fault record could include:
| Information | Example |
|---|---|
| Date | Date of inspection |
| Location | Stockroom corridor |
| Fitting reference | EL-014 |
| Fault | Does not illuminate |
| Action required | Investigate and repair |
| Responsible person | Named staff member or contractor |
| Repair date | Date completed |
| Retest result | Passed |
This creates a clear trail from identifying a problem through to resolving it.
It can also highlight recurring problems. If the same fitting fails several times, replacement may need to be considered rather than repeatedly carrying out minor repairs.
Emergency Lighting Compliance After a Power Cut
A real power failure can provide useful information about the condition of an emergency lighting system, but retailers should not rely on an actual outage as their testing procedure.
Regular planned testing is necessary because a system needs to be checked under controlled conditions.
A power cut may happen when the store is full of customers, when staff are busy or outside normal working hours. This is not an appropriate substitute for planned maintenance.
Regular testing helps identify problems before an emergency occurs.
It also allows businesses to arrange repairs at a suitable time rather than discovering a fault when emergency lighting is genuinely required.
What Does BS 5266-1:2025 Mean for Retailers?
BS 5266-1:2025 is the current British Standard for emergency lighting of premises.
BSI describes it as a code of practice covering the design, installation and wiring of emergency lighting systems. The 2025 edition is a full revision of the previous 2016 standard and broadens the scope to include local area lighting and standby lighting.
For retailers, this reinforces the importance of treating emergency lighting as part of the wider safety arrangements for the premises.
The standard is not simply a checklist for replacing batteries. It provides a framework for the design and application of emergency lighting systems.
Businesses should therefore consider the standard alongside their fire risk assessment, building arrangements, system documentation and maintenance programme.
Where an existing system is being altered, extended or significantly reviewed, professional advice can help establish what requirements apply to the particular installation.
Can Retail Staff Carry Out Emergency Lighting Tests?
Some routine tests can be carried out by appropriately instructed staff, depending on the type of emergency lighting system installed.
Government guidance for shops and offices explains that most routine tests can generally be carried out by the responsible person or appropriately instructed people, although the method varies between installations. Where there is uncertainty, the guidance recommends contacting the supplier or another competent person.
Staff responsible for routine testing should understand:
- How the test facility works
- Which fittings need checking
- What constitutes a failure
- How faults should be recorded
- Who should be notified
- What action should follow a failure
Professional inspection and maintenance remains important, particularly for annual testing, fault diagnosis, repairs and more complex systems.
Emergency Lighting for Small Shops
Smaller shops still need to take emergency lighting seriously.
A small premises may have fewer emergency fittings, but a power failure can still leave customers and employees without sufficient illumination.
The responsible person should understand the requirements of the particular premises and maintain an appropriate testing schedule.
The size of the business does not remove the need for suitable fire safety arrangements.
Government guidance for small non-domestic premises specifically includes monthly functional testing and annual inspection and testing of emergency escape lighting by a competent contractor.
Emergency Lighting for Large Retail Stores
Larger retail stores often require more detailed management because they can contain extensive customer areas, warehouses, loading areas, offices and staff facilities.
A large store may have dozens or hundreds of emergency fittings, depending on its size and configuration.
For these premises, retailers can benefit from:
- Asset registers
- Fitting identification numbers
- Planned testing schedules
- Centralised records
- Clear responsibility for individual locations
- Regular fault monitoring
- Planned battery replacement
- Professional annual inspection
Retail chains should also consider how emergency lighting compliance is monitored across different branches.
A central system can make it easier to identify overdue tests and recurring faults.
Retail Emergency Lighting Compliance Checklist
The following condensed checklist can be used as part of a retail fire safety management routine.
| Compliance area | Requirement |
|---|---|
| System design | Suitable for the premises and current layout |
| Escape routes | Adequately illuminated |
| Exit signs | Visible and correctly positioned |
| Fire safety equipment | Appropriately identifiable |
| Monthly testing | Functional test completed |
| Annual testing | Full-duration test completed |
| Visual checks | Regular inspections undertaken |
| Faults | Recorded and investigated |
| Repairs | Completed appropriately |
| Retesting | Carried out following remedial work |
| Logbook | Kept accurate and current |
| Refurbishments | Emergency lighting reviewed |
| Documentation | Relevant records retained |
| Competent support | Used where specialist work is required |
Maintaining Compliance Throughout the Year
Emergency lighting compliance should be viewed as an ongoing process rather than something that happens once a year.
A retail business can have a fully compliant system on the day of an inspection but still develop faults later. Batteries deteriorate, fittings become damaged, displays move and store layouts change.
Regular testing helps identify these issues before they become more serious.
The most effective approach is to combine routine checks with planned professional inspection and maintenance, while keeping accurate records of what has been tested and what action has been taken.
For retailers, this creates a clear maintenance trail and helps ensure that emergency lighting remains ready to perform when normal lighting fails.
The latest BS 5266-1:2025 guidance, together with the requirements of the premises’ fire risk assessment and applicable fire safety legislation, should be considered when designing, reviewing and maintaining emergency lighting arrangements.
For a retail business, the practical objective is straightforward: emergency lighting should be present where needed, clearly visible, regularly tested, properly maintained and supported by reliable records. That approach helps protect customers, employees and the business itself when normal lighting is no longer available.