The green exit sign above the door is easy to ignore. It glows quietly for years, and nobody thinks about it until the power goes out and a whole floor of people needs to find the stairs.
That’s the moment emergency lighting has to work, and the only way to know it will is to test it. Emergency lighting testing in Adelaide is a routine compliance task for most commercial, industrial and multi-residential buildings, and it’s easy to let slide because nothing visibly goes wrong when it’s skipped. At VD Safety Adelaide, we test and service emergency and exit lighting across the city. This guide covers how often testing is required, what it involves and what to keep on record.
What Emergency and Exit Lighting Does and Why Testing Matters
Emergency lights illuminate escape routes when mains power fails, and exit signs mark the way out so people can find it in smoke or darkness. Both rely on batteries that sit idle for months, slowly ageing.
A light that glows on the wall can still have a battery that won’t hold a charge. That’s why exit light testing means running the lights off the battery, not just checking that they look lit.
How Often Does Emergency Lighting Testing in Adelaide Need to Be Done?
The standard behind routine servicing is AS/NZS 2293.2, which covers inspection, testing and maintenance of emergency lighting and exit signs. In practice it works on two levels:
- Six-monthly: lights are tested by running them from battery, including a discharge test, along with a visual check of the luminaires and signs.
- Yearly: a more thorough service, with the additional inspection and checks the standard calls for.
The discharge test runs the lights on the battery for at least 90 minutes. The exact split of tasks between the six-monthly and annual services depends on the type of system (self-contained units or a central battery) and the edition of the standard that applies, so we confirm it for each building.
Many facility managers also add a quick monthly walk-through to check indicator lights and spot obvious damage. It’s not a substitute for a scheduled service, but it catches faults early.
What Emergency Exit Light Testing Involves
A full test covers more than flicking a switch. For each building, a technician will typically:
- Check every luminaire and exit sign for damage, dirt and obstruction, and clean where needed
- Confirm the indicator lamps are working
- Make sure units are fully charged before the test begins
- Isolate the lighting circuit to simulate a power failure
- Check that every light operates on battery and stays lit for the full test period
- Restore power and confirm the units return to charging
- Replace failed batteries, lamps or units
- Record the date, results and any faults in the logbook
Because the test deliberately cuts power to the emergency circuits, we plan it around your operating hours and keep building management informed, so disruption stays low. If you’d like to book a test, tell us your building’s operating hours and we’ll plan around them.
Standards and Compliance Requirements for Emergency Lighting Maintenance in Adelaide
AS/NZS 2293.2 covers routine service and maintenance, while Part 1 of the standard covers design and installation. The National Construction Code sets out which buildings need emergency lighting in the first place.
A logbook is the other half of compliance. Test dates, results, faults found and repairs made should all be recorded and kept on site, ready to show an auditor, council officer or insurer.
If your emergency lighting maintenance in Adelaide has fallen behind, the usual consequences are a failed fire safety audit, requests from your insurer for evidence of servicing, and notices from the council. More importantly, you won’t know whether the lights will work when they’re needed.
Signs Your Exit Lights Need Testing Sooner
A few things are easy to spot without any technical knowledge:
- Lights that flicker, look dim or don’t switch on during a brief power blip
- Charge indicators that are off, flashing or showing a fault
- Cracked, yellowed or damaged diffusers, or exit signs that are hard to read
- Units whose batteries have never been replaced and are several years old
- Lights that were disturbed during renovations or repainting
If you notice any of these, don’t wait for the next scheduled visit.
Emergency lighting is the part of your fire safety system you hope never to use, which is exactly why it needs testing on a schedule. A regular six-monthly service and an up-to-date logbook keep it ready. If yours is overdue, get in touch with VD Safety Adelaide for a free quote.