Check out or FAQ guide to emergency lighting here
In the UK, emergency lighting design is mainly driven by:
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – requires suitable emergency lighting based on risk.
- BS 5266-1: Code of practice for emergency lighting – how to design and install systems; defines minimum illuminance levels.
- BS EN 1838: Emergency lighting – sets the required illumination (lux, uniformity, etc.) for escape routes, open areas, and high-risk task areas.
These standards all agree on the core numbers you’ll see repeated below.
Lux explained in 30 seconds
- Lux (lx) is a measure of illuminance – how much light hits a surface.
- Emergency lighting lux levels are usually specified:
- At floor level for escape routes and open areas.
- On the working plane for high-risk tasks (e.g. machine controls, switchboards).
It’s not just about hitting a number once: uniformity matters too. BS EN 1838 says the ratio of highest to lowest illuminance along routes and in open areas must not exceed 40:1, so you don’t get bright patches and black holes.
Core emergency lighting lux levels by application
Escape routes & corridors
These are your defined escape routes – corridors, protected routes, routes through rooms where an evac path is clearly identified.
Requirements
- Minimum 1 lux on the centre line of the escape route (up to 2 m wide) at floor level.
- The central band (at least half the width of the route) should be at least 0.5 lux.
- Uniformity (max:min) should not exceed 40:1.
- Every point on the route must be lit by at least two luminaires so one failure doesn’t plunge a section into darkness.
Watch out for older installs: pre-2016 systems may have been designed to the old minimum of 0.2 lux on escape routes, so they may not comply with current guidance.
Open areas (anti-panic lighting)
Open areas are spaces where people might be when the lights go off, but which are not clearly defined escape routes: offices, larger rooms, assembly spaces, etc. The aim is to stop panic and allow people to orient themselves and find an exit.
Requirements
- Minimum 0.5 lux at floor level over the “empty core” of the area.
- A 0.5 m border around the perimeter is excluded from that 0.5 lux requirement.
- Uniformity max 40:1 (same as escape routes).
If an escape route passes through an open area and is not clearly marked, BS EN 1838 says you must light the shortest obvious route through that area to 1 lux like any other escape route, with a minimum width of 2 m and a 0.5 m border at start and end.
Stairs and changes of level
Stairs are treated as part of the escape route but with extra emphasis because trips here are a big risk during evacuation.
Best-practice expectations
- Emergency lighting should provide at least 1 lux on the stair treads as part of the escape route requirement.
- Several technical guides and manufacturer documents suggest higher practical levels (around 3–5 lux) on stairs and at changes of level to ensure safe footing.
- Luminaires should be positioned so each flight receives direct light and changes of level are clearly visible.
When you’re designing or auditing, if the lux meter says “just over 1 lux” on a stair that looks marginal, it’s usually sensible to treat that as a minimum legal baseline, not a target.
High-risk task areas
These are places where a sudden loss of light could create immediate danger – for example:
- Industrial machinery
- Plant rooms and switchgear
- Commercial kitchens
- Chemical handling areas
Requirements
- Emergency illuminance on the working plane should be at least 10% of the normal task lighting level,
and not less than 15 lux in any case. - Uniformity should be better than 10:1 (min:max ratio ≥ 0.1).
- Lighting must be free of harmful stroboscopic effects that could make moving parts appear stationary.
Practical examples from design guidance and CIBSE LG12 (often adopted as good practice) include:
- Kitchens: around 15 lux on working surfaces.
- Plant rooms: around 15 lux on equipment and access routes.
- Fire control equipment and panels: 15 lux on the equipment/task plane.
- Security devices & exit hardware (panic bars, keypads): typically 5 lux on the device itself.
Toilets, changing rooms & small ancillary spaces
These often get missed, but BS EN 1838 and guidance notes spell them out:
- Toilets & changing rooms over 8 m²:
Treated as open areas → 0.5 lux minimum at floor level (with the 0.5 m border excluded). - Accessible toilets, toilets with shower or baby change:
Must have emergency lighting; at least 1 lux on the floor is typically applied, in line with escape route levels. - Toilet lobbies:
Treated as part of the escape route → 1 lux minimum on floor level.
Lifts, lobbies, car parks & other special spaces
Various guides and BS 5266 commentary give more detailed recommendations for specific applications. Common ones include:
- Lift cars and lobbies:
- Typically 0.5 lux at floor level in emergency mode.
- Covered car parks:
- Often designed to 0.5 lux at floor level as open areas.
- Swimming pool surrounds, diving areas:
- Guidance suggests around 5 lux at floor level and on treads/edges for safe movement in wet conditions.
- Final exits and fire-fighting equipment (call points, extinguishers, hose reels):
- Often treated as needing 5–15 lux on the device/working plane so it can be clearly identified and operated.
These figures tend to come from BS 5266 commentary, CIBSE LG12 and manufacturer design guides, so always cross-check them for your specific building type.
Don’t forget duration & response time
Lux levels are only one part of compliance. BS standards also cover:
- Duration
- Most premises: at least 1 hour if immediate evacuation is assumed.
- Where people may remain or re-enter, or where the fire strategy requires it: 3 hours is typical.
- Response time
- Escape lighting should generally come on within 5 seconds of a mains failure.
- For high-risk task areas, much faster response is often required (around 0.5 seconds suggested in guidance).
Sign illumination and photoluminescent signs
Emergency exit signs and safety signs need to be visible under emergency conditions:
- Photoluminescent or self-adhesive signs must be illuminated by normal lighting to about 100 lux so they can charge properly.
- Under emergency lighting, the safety colour area of the sign must reach a minimum luminance defined in the standards, and the luminance ratio between brightest and darkest parts is limited so the sign remains readable.
How to apply this in practice
When you’re designing, reviewing or auditing emergency lighting, a simple workflow is:
- Start with the fire risk assessment
Identify escape routes, open areas, high-risk processes and critical equipment. - Map each space to a category
- Escape route
- Open area (anti-panic)
- High-risk task area
- Special space (toilets, plant rooms, lifts, etc.)
- Assign the relevant lux requirement
Use the values above as your initial targets, then refine against the actual text of BS 5266-1 and BS EN 1838. - Model and/or measure
- Use lighting design software with manufacturer photometric data to demonstrate compliance.
- On existing systems, measure with a calibrated lux meter at floor (or working) level, checking minimum and uniformity, not just an average.
- Check duration, response and maintenance
- Confirm battery duration matches your fire strategy.
- Verify that luminaires actually start within the required response time.
- Put in place monthly functional tests and annual full-duration tests as required by BS EN 50172 / BS 5266-8.
Final thoughts
In simple terms:
- 1 lux keeps escape routes navigable.
- 0.5 lux stops people panicking in open areas.
- 15+ lux keeps dangerous tasks safe enough to shut down.
If you align each space in your building to those categories, check uniformity, and back it up with proper testing and documentation, you’re a long way towards both compliance and real-world safety.
At Lumineux we are here to help with all your lighting needs. If you need any further information on emergency lighting get in touch with our lighting design team here. alternatively check out our comprehensive emergency range below.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some common questions about emergency lighting.
Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, most UK non-domestic premises are legally required to have emergency lighting to ensure occupants can safely evacuate during a power failure. Emergency lighting must be installed in areas where lack of lighting would present a danger, including escape routes, stairways, high-risk task areas, and any rooms that could be occupied by employees, customers, or visitors.
Emergency lighting must also comply with BS 5266-1, which sets out the requirements for design, installation, testing, and maintenance.
UK standards recognise several types of emergency lighting:
- Escape Route Lighting – illuminates corridors, stairways and fire exits.
- Open Area (Anti-Panic) Lighting – prevents panic and guides occupants to escape routes.
- High-Risk Task Area Lighting – for areas where dangerous processes need to be shut down safely.
- Standby Lighting – provides normal illumination for continued activity (optional, not legally required).
According to BS 5266-1 and BS EN 50172, you must perform:
- Monthly function tests (brief test to ensure lights operate)
- Annual full-duration tests (typically 1–3 hours, depending on system rating)
- All test results must be recorded in a fire safety logbook.
Most UK premises require a minimum duration of 3 hours for emergency lighting.
A 1-hour duration may be acceptable in some low-risk buildings, but only if they evacuate immediately and do not allow re-entry during a failure.
Yes—if a toilet is intended for use by the public or accommodates more than one person, emergency lighting is required.
Single-occupant toilets may be exempt unless:
- they have no borrowed light, or
- they form part of an escape route.
Exit signage must:
- comply with BS ISO 7010 (standard pictograms)
- be visible along all escape routes
- be internally or externally illuminated
- remain lit during a power failure (either self-contained or supplied by emergency lighting)
Maintained: always on; switch to battery power during a failure (common in public venues).
Non-maintained: off during normal operation; only turns on during a power cut (common in offices and workplaces).
Your fire risk assessment determines which type is suitable.