What is BS 5266-1:2025 - Emergency lighting of premises about?
BS 5266-1:2025 provides a code of practice for emergency lighting of premises. It sets out recommendations and guidance on the design, installation, and wiring of emergency lighting systems to ensure safety in the event of a failure of the normal lighting supply.
The standard’s central aim is to promote a consistent approach to emergency lighting so that people can safely exit or remain in a building during emergencies, while also supporting the use of essential safety equipment.
What does BS 5266-1:2025 - Emergency lighting of premises cover?
BS 5266-1:2025 applies to emergency lighting systems used for three key purposes:
Assisting evacuation – helping occupants leave a building safely during an emergency.
Protecting occupants who remain – ensuring safety when people stay in the building during an incident.
Supporting continued operations – enabling normal activities to continue if the normal lighting fails.
It also gives recommendations for lighting in areas with fixed seating and emphasizes that it does not apply to private dwellings, although it does cover common access routes in blocks of flats and maisonettes.
Key aspects include ensuring escape routes are clear and illuminated, fire safety systems (like call points and fire-fighting equipment) are accessible, and panic risks are minimized in confined spaces such as lifts.
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