Emergency lighting produces two kinds of paperwork. A completion certificate says the installation was designed and commissioned correctly when it went in. A log book records every test since. An inspector will want both, and buildings almost always have the first and not the second.
The completion certificate
Issued when the system is installed and commissioned, it records what was installed, the design duration, the areas covered and the results of the commissioning tests including a full duration test. It is the baseline every later test is compared against. Without it nobody can say whether a luminaire that is now missing from a corridor was ever there.
The log book
A record of every function test and every duration test, with the date, who did it, what was tested, what failed and what was done about the failures. It should also record any alterations to the building that affect the lighting, such as a new partition creating an unlit corner. The log book is the document that demonstrates the system is being maintained rather than merely installed.
Why failures matter more than passes
A log book with no failures recorded over several years is a warning sign rather than a good sign. Emergency lighting batteries fail; lamps fail; luminaires get painted over and covered by shelving. A book that records failures and their remedies is evidence of a live regime. A book of ticks is evidence of somebody ticking.
Who can ask to see it
The fire and rescue authority as the enforcing authority. An insurer. A prospective purchaser or tenant during due diligence. In a block of flats, residents are entitled to certain fire safety information. Keeping the certificate and the log book with the fire risk assessment rather than in a plant room cupboard is the difference between producing them and looking for them.
Questions people ask about emergency lighting certificate
Is an emergency lighting certificate a legal requirement?
The law requires emergency routes and exits to be provided with emergency lighting where necessary and the equipment to be maintained. The certificate and log book are how that is evidenced rather than duties in themselves.
What goes in an emergency lighting log book?
Every function and duration test with the date, who carried it out, what was tested, what failed and what was done, plus any building alterations affecting the lighting.
How long should records be kept?
Long enough to show a pattern, which in practice means several years. Keep the original completion certificate for the life of the installation, because it is the baseline everything is compared against.