Emergency lighting and exit sign testing

Emergency lighting and exit signs guide people out of a building when normal power fails. Because they sit unused most of the time, batteries die and lamps fail without anyone noticing. Regular inspection and testing, done and recorded on the schedule your provincial fire code sets, is how owners make sure they work when they are needed.

How emergency lighting is powered

Emergency lighting gets its power from one of two sources, or a mix of both:

• Unit equipment, often called battery packs: self-contained units with a battery, charger and lamps, sometimes with remote heads wired to them. When the normal supply to the unit fails, it switches to battery.
• A central emergency power supply, such as a generator or a central battery inverter system, feeding emergency light fixtures across the building. See standby generator maintenance.

Exit signs are usually lit continuously, from normal power, with an emergency source taking over in an outage. Some are self-powered with built-in batteries; others are photoluminescent or self-luminous and need no power at all.

What the codes require

The National Building Code of Canada and the provincial building codes in Alberta, BC and Ontario set out where emergency lighting and exit signs are required, how much light must be provided and how long the emergency supply must last. The duration depends on the type and height of the building. Newer buildings use green pictogram exit signs; older buildings may still have red "EXIT" signs installed under earlier codes.

Once a building is occupied, the National Fire Code of Canada and the provincial fire codes require the owner to keep emergency lighting and exit signs in working order and to inspect and test them on a set schedule. That schedule usually includes frequent checks that units are working and charging, and periodic tests that run the system on emergency power for its full rated duration. Check the edition in force in your province and any additional requirements from your local fire authority.

What gets checked

Routine inspections

• Exit signs lit, clearly visible and not blocked by signs, decorations or storage
• Exit signs pointing the right way after renovations or layout changes
• Battery units showing a normal charging indicator
• Lamp heads aimed at the path of travel, not at walls or ceilings
• No physical damage, missing lenses or units removed during fit-ups
• Self-luminous signs within their rated life

Functional tests

Short tests, done by cutting normal power to the units or using a test switch, show whether each light comes on. These catch failed lamps, dead batteries and units that have been disconnected.

Duration tests

Periodic full-duration tests run units on battery, or the building on emergency power, for the full time required. They are the only way to know batteries can still carry the load for long enough. Batteries that pass a short test often fail a duration test.

Common problems

• Batteries at or past the end of their life, which fail duration tests
• Units unplugged or switched off at the breaker during tenant work
• Remote heads disconnected or wired to the wrong unit
• Exit signs missing after a renovation, or pointing to doors that are now locked or no longer exits
• Coverage gaps in new corridors, rooms or stairs added since the original design
• Emergency fixtures on a generator circuit that was rewired onto normal power
• No test records, or records that show tests were skipped

Self-luminous exit signs

Some exit signs use tritium, a radioactive gas, to glow without power. They have a limited life and must be replaced when it ends. They cannot go in the regular garbage: in Canada, disposal is regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and the supplier or a licensed waste handler must take them back. Keep an inventory with expiry dates.

Records

Keep a log of every inspection and test: date, who did it, which units were tested, results and repairs. Fire inspectors usually ask for these records. A simple numbered inventory of units and signs, tied to a floor plan, makes testing faster and helps show nothing has been missed. For a broader view of fire and life safety records, see our guide on fire alarm system inspections.

How ehZee can help

Our electrical system inspections can include emergency lighting and exit signs: coverage, condition, battery age, emergency power supply and test records. We report gaps and repairs needed and can coordinate testing and corrections with your electrical and life safety contractors.

Common questions