1. System Details

The front of the logbook should identify the emergency lighting system clearly.

This may include:

• Site name and address

• Building or zone covered

• Responsible person or facilities contact

• Contractor details

• Date of installation or commissioning

• Type of system used

• Any known system variations across the building

The IET’s guidance on emergency lighting logbooks highlights the importance of commissioning information and alteration records.

2. Locations of Emergency Lighting Units

Facilities teams should be able to identify where fittings are positioned and where testing is carried out.

This may include:

• Escape routes

• Staircases

• Final exits

• Open-plan office routes

• Plant rooms

• Toilets where relevant

• Bar areas, halls or event spaces

• Back-of-house routes in venues

For offices and assembly venues, emergency escape arrangements should reflect how people move through the premises and how safe evacuation is supported.

3. Test Switches and Control Points

The logbook should record where emergency lighting can be tested and how.

This helps prevent uncertainty when staff change or when a different contractor attends site. It also reduces the risk of incomplete checks because the test arrangements are unclear.

This information is commonly built into professional emergency lighting logbook formats.

4. Routine Test Records

This is the core of the logbook.

Emergency lighting maintenance regimes typically include regular functional tests and full-duration testing. Fire and rescue service guidance commonly advises monthly emergency lighting checks, and trade and professional sources continue to describe annual full-duration testing as a standard part of maintenance planning.

A logbook should record:

• Date of the test

• Type of test carried out

• Area or system tested

• Whether fittings operated correctly

• Name of person completing the check

• Signature or sign-off where required

Where a building has multiple floors, zones or buildings, this should be split clearly so it is obvious which areas were included.

5. Faults Found

A logbook should record defects, not hide them.

Examples may include:

• A fitting that failed to illuminate

• A unit with reduced light output

• Battery failure

• Damage to a luminaire

• A test switch issue

• An inaccessible unit

• Incomplete coverage in a recently altered area

The purpose of the record is not to present a perfect system every time. It is to show that issues are being found, tracked and addressed.

6. Remedial Action Taken

If a defect is identified, the logbook should state what happened next.

This may include:

• Logged for contractor attendance

• Unit replaced

• Battery changed

• Further investigation required

• Access issue resolved

• Follow-up visit booked

• Defect closed out

Azure’s electrical remedial work service is especially relevant where failed emergency lighting tests identify works that need to be corrected.

7. Inspection and Maintenance Visits

Where emergency lighting is reviewed as part of wider compliance support or maintenance visits, these attendances should also be referenced.

The logbook can work alongside:

• Contractor service sheets

• Fire risk assessment actions

• EICR or electrical defect reports where relevant

• Building maintenance records

• Compliance calendars

For facilities teams managing several obligations at once, Azure’s guide to a compliance calendar for property managers provides a helpful related framework.

How Emergency Lighting Logbooks Help During Audits

A logbook becomes especially valuable when a site is reviewed by:

• Fire risk assessors

• Insurers

• Internal compliance teams

• Landlords or managing agents

• Local authority or fire service inspectors

• Health and safety auditors

London Fire Brigade advises responsible persons preparing for inspection to have fire safety records available, and Article 17 of the Fire Safety Order requires suitable maintenance of fire safety measures where necessary.

A well-maintained logbook helps answer common audit questions quickly:

• Are checks being done regularly?

• Are faults being identified?

• Are failed units being repaired?

• Is there evidence of a maintenance system?

• Are actions being followed through?

It turns compliance from a verbal assurance into documented evidence.

Common Problems That Make Logbooks Weak

Many buildings do have a logbook, but it is not always useful.

Here are some of the issues facilities teams should watch for.

“Pass” Entries With No Real Detail

A line that simply says “checked, all OK” may not be enough to show which areas were inspected or what type of test was completed.

The more complex the building, the more detail becomes important.

Missing Fault Follow-Up

If a failed fitting is recorded in January but there is no note showing it was repaired, the logbook begins to raise more questions than it answers.

The record should show the defect lifecycle, not just the moment it was noticed.

No Clear Responsibility

If no one knows who is meant to update the logbook, it often falls behind.

The responsible person should make sure there is a clear process for:

• Carrying out routine checks

• Recording results

• Escalating defects

• Booking remedials

• Filing contractor documents

The Government’s guide for people with duties under fire safety legislation makes clear that responsible persons need to understand and manage their obligations, including ensuring necessary fire safety arrangements are in place.

Logbooks Kept Separately From Other Compliance Records

Emergency lighting should not be treated as an isolated admin task. It is part of the wider fire safety and maintenance picture.

Facilities teams often benefit from storing records in a coordinated way alongside:

• Fire alarm records

• Fire risk assessments

• Emergency plans

• Maintenance reports

• Contractor attendance sheets

• Remedial quotes and completion records

That makes it far easier to prepare for audits and identify gaps early.

Offices vs Venues: Why the Logbook Needs to Reflect the Site

The underlying principle is the same, but offices and venues often operate differently.

Offices

For offices, emergency lighting records often need to cover:

• Stairwells

• Corridors

• Open-plan escape routes

• Meeting suite areas

• Basement zones

• Welfare areas

• Plant rooms

• Shared landlord-controlled zones

Government fire safety guidance for offices and shops is intended for employers, managers, occupiers and owners responsible for these kinds of premises.

Azure’s office and corporate support is relevant where businesses need joined-up electrical maintenance and compliance support.

Venues, Clubs, Pubs and Hospitality Spaces

Venues often have a more complex occupancy pattern. Lighting routes may matter across:

• Main public areas

• Bars

• Stages or halls

• Back corridors

• Toilets

• Cellars

• Kitchens

• Late-night evacuation routes

London Fire Brigade’s guidance for nightclubs, bars and pubs stresses the importance of escape routes being clear, visible and usable, particularly in low-light conditions.

For these environments, emergency lighting records should be clear enough to demonstrate that the public-facing and back-of-house areas are being checked properly.

Azure works with clubs and pubs, where reliable compliance-led electrical support is especially important.

How a Planned Maintenance Arrangement Helps

Emergency lighting logbooks are much easier to keep current when testing, review and remedials are built into a planned routine.

A maintenance arrangement can help with:

• Routine review of records

• Coordinating monthly checks

• Identifying recurring failures

• Repairing failed fittings promptly

• Scheduling larger remedial works

• Supporting fire risk action plans

• Keeping documentation organised

This connects closely with Azure’s previous article on reactive repairs vs planned maintenance, which explains why relying only on fault-driven callouts can create avoidable risk and disruption.

A Practical Emergency Lighting Logbook Checklist

Facilities teams can use the checklist below to review whether their current logbook is genuinely audit ready.

When Should You Get Professional Support?

Facilities teams should consider professional support if:

• The logbook has gaps

• Testing is inconsistent

• Multiple defects remain open

• The building layout has changed

• New areas have been added or reconfigured

• Emergency lighting faults are recurring

• The responsible person is unsure whether records are adequate

BS 5266-1:2025 is now the current BSI code of practice for emergency lighting of premises, and businesses should make sure their maintenance approach reflects current standards and their own site risk profile.

How Azure Electrical Ltd Can Help

Azure Electrical Ltd supports commercial clients with electrical compliance, testing, remedial works and planned maintenance across offices, venues and other business premises.

Our team can help with:

• Emergency lighting inspection support

• Failed-unit investigations

• Electrical remedial works

• Wider compliance planning

• Integration with planned maintenance schedules

• Clear reporting for facilities teams

Where electrical installation changes, compliance issues or faults are identified, Azure can support through statutory compliance, electrical installation and electrical remedial work.

To discuss support for your premises, visit the contact page.

Final Thoughts

An emergency lighting logbook is not just a filing exercise. It is one of the clearest ways to show that a building’s emergency lighting system is being checked, maintained and acted upon properly.

For offices and venues alike, good records make audits easier, faults easier to track and compliance gaps easier to address before they become more serious.

If your logbook is incomplete, inconsistent or unclear, that is usually a sign that the maintenance process behind it also needs attention.