Finding out that your emergency lighting has failed an inspection can be unsettling, particularly if the lights appeared to work perfectly well the last time anyone looked. The good news is that a failed inspection is not the end of the story. It is a list of problems that have been found before an emergency, rather than during one.
At William Hale, we design, install and maintain emergency lighting systems, and we are often asked to step in after an inspection or fire risk assessment has highlighted defects. What matters most at that point is a calm, organised response that deals with the risk first and the paperwork second, without losing sight of either.
This guide explains what it usually means when emergency lighting fails an inspection, what to do in the hours and days that follow, how different types of failure are dealt with and how to reduce the chance of the same problems returning.
What Does It Mean to Fail an Inspection?
An emergency lighting inspection is far more comprehensive than checking whether the lights come on during a power cut. It looks at whether the complete system continues to provide adequate protection throughout the building as it is today.
That means a system can fail for reasons that have nothing to do with a fitting being dark. Even where the lighting appears to operate, missing documentation or poor maintenance can still result in recommendations for corrective action.
In practice, a failed inspection normally takes the form of a report listing defects, observations and recommended actions. Some items will be urgent. Others may be advisory. The report is your starting point for putting things right.
Why It Matters
Emergency lighting can save lives by helping people find safe passage out of a building during a fire or power cut when the main lighting has failed. In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places duties on the responsible person to make sure fire safety measures, including emergency lighting where it is required, are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent legislation.
A failed inspection is a signal that the system may not currently meet that standard. Leaving the faults unresolved could leave occupants without adequate illumination during a power failure or emergency.
Common Reasons Emergency Lighting Fails
Inspection failures tend to fall into a familiar set of categories. The most common include:
- Batteries that can no longer sustain the rated duration.
- Missing or incomplete records of monthly and annual tests.
- Fittings that are damaged, loose or missing covers.
- Exit signs that are blocked, damaged or pointing to an exit that has moved.
- Coverage gaps created by partitions, racking or refurbishment.
- Obstructions such as stock, displays or ceiling-mounted equipment.
- Ageing systems with repeated faults.
We cover these causes in more depth in our article on why emergency lighting inspections fail. The rest of this guide focuses on what happens next.
Step 1: Read the Report Properly
Professional inspection reports provide much more than a pass or fail outcome. A comprehensive report helps you prioritise repairs, plan future upgrades, monitor recurring faults and demonstrate that you are acting on the findings.
Before doing anything else, read the report carefully and make sure you understand:
- Which fittings or areas have failed, with enough location detail to find them.
- What type of failure was found, such as a short battery duration, a damaged unit or a coverage gap.
- Which items have been marked as urgent.
- Which recommendations relate to records, layout or ongoing maintenance rather than individual fittings.
If anything in the report is unclear, ask the engineer who produced it. A report that sits unread in a folder does nothing to improve safety.
Step 2: Assess the Risk to Safe Evacuation
Not every failure carries the same level of risk. A defective light on a critical staircase may create a very different level of risk from a fault in an area served by several other emergency luminaires. The responsible person should assess the circumstances rather than treating every failure as identical.
Think about where the failed fittings are. Points of emphasis under BS 5266 include stair flights, changes of level, corridor junctions, changes of direction, fire alarm call points, firefighting equipment and final exit doors. A failure at one of these locations deserves priority.
Also consider who uses the building. Care and hospitality settings involve occupants who may be asleep, unfamiliar with the building or unable to evacuate quickly. Failures in premises like these may need an even faster response.
Step 3: Put Temporary Measures in Place
Some faults cannot be repaired immediately. If a failure compromises an important escape route, temporary precautions should be put in place until the system is restored.
Examples include:
- Installing temporary lighting.
- Restricting access to an affected area.
- Increasing monitoring.
- Prioritising urgent repairs.
- Updating fire wardens about the issue.
Whatever you decide, record it. Documenting temporary arrangements shows that the risk was considered while permanent repairs were being organised.
Step 4: Arrange Competent Repairs
Once the risk is under control, the faults themselves need to be fixed. A competent engineer should investigate each defect and find the underlying cause, whether that is a battery, a lamp, a charging fault or a connection problem.
It is important that repairs address the cause rather than simply clearing a warning. A fitting that is reset without the fault being found is likely to fail again at the next test, or worse, during a real emergency.
Repairs and fault diagnosis should be left to suitably competent personnel. Emergency lighting is a narrower discipline than general electrical contracting. It involves duration testing, battery behaviour and an understanding of why a fitting that looks lit may still fail a discharge.
Step 5: Retest and Record
A repair is not finished until it has been proven. After each fault is fixed, the fitting should be retested and the result recorded. Where batteries have been replaced, a duration test confirms they now perform as expected.
The logbook should then show the full story: the fault, its location, the risk level, any temporary measures, the repair carried out, the engineer’s comments and the follow-up test confirming the fault is resolved.
Step 6: Update Drawings and Records
If the inspection found coverage gaps or outdated signage, fixing them may involve adding fittings or repositioning signs. When the installation changes, the documentation should change too. Updated drawings, a revised asset register and appropriate certification for new work all help keep records accurate for the next inspection.
How Different Failures Are Usually Resolved
The right response depends on what has actually failed. These are some of the most common situations.
Battery and Duration Failures
Emergency lights rely on rechargeable batteries, and their performance gradually reduces with age. A fitting can pass a monthly functional test and still fail before the end of a three-hour discharge. When duration failures appear, the batteries or units concerned will usually need replacing, followed by a retest.
If many fittings fail in the same way, it may indicate that the installation as a whole is approaching the end of its useful life.
Damaged or Dirty Fittings
Broken diffusers, missing covers, cracked lenses, loose fittings, water ingress and impact damage are frequently identified during inspections. Some damage may look cosmetic but can affect light output or expose electrical components. Dust, grease and dirt also gradually reduce light output, particularly in warehouses, workshops and commercial kitchens. Repairs, replacement units and regular cleaning resolve most of these findings.
Coverage Gaps After Building Changes
A fitting can pass every test while sitting in the wrong place for the current layout. New partitions, meeting rooms, racking and mezzanines all change how light reaches an escape route. In warehouses, racking casts long shadows, so spacing designed for an empty floor may not deliver the required lighting once the building is full.
These findings are resolved through design rather than repair. Positions should be calculated using photometric data for the specific fitting, not spaced by eye, and may involve adding fittings or relocating existing ones.
Exit Sign Problems
Missing signs, incorrect directional arrows, obscured or damaged signs and signs that no longer reflect the layout are common findings. Even small refurbishments can leave signage out of date. Signs should be positioned so they are legible to someone who has never walked the corridor before.
Missing or Incomplete Records
Sometimes the fittings are fine but the evidence is not. Missing monthly tests, absent annual duration reports, no commissioning certificate or no repair history can all lead to recommendations for action.
Where a building has been inherited with no drawing or records, we survey the building, plot every existing luminaire, identify the gaps against the current standard and issue a schedule showing what needs to be added and what can be retained. Nothing is condemned wholesale to justify a bigger order. Testing the existing fittings at the same time gives a clear picture of what works today.
Restricted Access
Engineers must be able to reach every fitting safely. High-level storage, furniture, shelving, machinery and temporary construction work can block access and lead to incomplete testing. Clearing access before the retest avoids the same finding appearing again.
Repair, Replace or Upgrade?
After a failed inspection, it is worth asking whether individual repairs are the right answer or whether a broader upgrade makes more sense.
There is no single replacement interval for every system. Equipment life depends on design, battery type, operating conditions, maintenance history and manufacturer recommendations, so decisions should be based on condition and performance rather than age alone.
Replacement or upgrade may be the better option when batteries repeatedly fail duration tests, fittings are damaged or components are no longer supported, the installation no longer gives suitable coverage after building changes, or multiple fittings across the building keep failing. An upgrade can also be an opportunity to improve reliability and introduce newer emergency lighting technology.
A professional assessment can help you decide whether a system should be maintained, upgraded or replaced.
Minimising Disruption While Faults Are Fixed
Businesses cannot usually close a floor for repairs or a rewire. Duration tests also leave emergency lighting below full capacity while batteries recharge.
For this reason, we phase work, write the sequence into our quotation and carry it out in evenings, weekends or agreed windows where the building demands it. Testing large sites in sections also helps, so not every area is discharged at the same time.
Urgent Faults Outside Office Hours
Some failures cannot wait until the next working day. Our out of hours call out service provides a dedicated manned telephone line, engineer response 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, a highly skilled and experienced engineer on call and a four-hour response time.
Who Needs to Know About the Failure?
In shared or leased buildings, responsibilities can easily fall between landlord, tenant and managing agent. Make sure everyone with a role in the building knows about the failed inspection and who is arranging the repairs. Appointing a contractor does not automatically remove the responsible person’s own duties.
Staff can help too. Encouraging employees to report damaged fittings, blocked exit signs or lights that appear unusually dim reduces the chance of new problems going unnoticed while repairs are underway.
Preventing a Repeat Failure
Once the immediate issues are resolved, the aim is to make sure the next inspection goes differently.
Keep Up With Monthly and Annual Tests
For many premises, functional testing happens at least monthly and full-duration testing at least annually. Missing several months of testing significantly increases the likelihood that hidden faults remain undetected.
Remove the Reliance on Memory
Monthly checks often get missed when they rely on someone remembering a key switch in a cupboard. Where that is the pattern, we recommend self-test fittings or a scheduled service visit, so the routine no longer depends on goodwill.
Deal With Minor Faults Early
A light that occasionally flickers or an indicator that no longer illuminates can point to battery deterioration, charging circuit faults or moisture ingress. Repairing these issues early is far simpler than dealing with multiple failed fittings later.
Review Emergency Lighting After Every Refurbishment
Every refurbishment should include a review of the emergency lighting. Ideally, emergency lighting is considered as part of the project rather than dealt with once the work has finished. Our emergency lighting compliance checklist can help you keep track of the checks that matter.
How William Hale Can Help
Our emergency lighting service covers design, installation and maintenance, using up-to-date technology and products from industry-leading manufacturers. Our engineers are qualified, insured and experienced in life safety installation specifically.
Our service maintenance packages include our Emergency 24/7 Call Out Service as standard for emergency lighting systems we install, and we can take over the service maintenance of existing systems. William Hale Fire & Security is an SSAIB certified company, founded in early 2013 and based in Swindon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a failed inspection mean my emergency lighting does not work?
Not necessarily. Some failures involve fittings that do not perform, while others relate to coverage, signage, damage or missing records. The report will show which applies.
What should I do first after a failed inspection?
Read the report, identify urgent items and assess the risk to safe evacuation. Put temporary measures in place if an important route is affected, then arrange competent repairs.
Can I fix the faults myself?
Appropriately instructed staff can carry out routine visual checks and monthly tests where the installation allows, but repairs and fault diagnosis should be left to a competent engineer.
How do I prove the faults have been fixed?
Each repaired fitting should be retested and the result recorded in the logbook alongside the original fault entry.
Can you take over a system that another company installed?
Yes. We can take over the service maintenance of existing systems, starting with a survey where no drawings or records exist.
Turn a Failed Inspection Into a Reliable System
A failed emergency lighting inspection is a warning, not a verdict. Read the findings, control the risk, fix the underlying causes, retest and record the results, and the same problems are far less likely to return.
If your emergency lighting has failed an inspection and you need help putting it right, contact William Hale Fire & Security to speak with our surveyor or arrange a free consultation and site survey.