HRB Mech delivers emergency lighting installation for commercial premises across the UK, providing fully compliant, certified systems that keep your building safe and your business protected.
HRB Mech provides professional emergency lighting installation services for commercial properties across the UK. Whether you're fitting out a new premises, upgrading an ageing system, or ensuring your building meets its legal obligations, our experienced emergency lighting installers are here to help.
From initial site survey and system design through to supply, installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance, we deliver a complete end-to-end service that keeps your premises safe, compliant, and fully documented.
Contact HRB Mech today or request your free site survey online.
Emergency lighting is a backup lighting system that automatically activates when a building's mains power supply fails. Its purpose is straightforward but critical: to illuminate escape routes, stairwells, corridors, and exits so that occupants can evacuate a building safely during a fire, power cut, or other emergency situation.
For any non-domestic premises in England and Wales, emergency lighting is not optional. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person for a building is legally obligated to ensure that adequate emergency lighting is installed, maintained, and tested. This applies to offices, warehouses, retail units, schools, healthcare facilities, hospitality venues, and a wide range of other commercial properties.
The design, installation, and maintenance of emergency lighting systems is governed by BS 5266 Part 1, the British Standard that sets out exactly how systems should be specified, installed, and kept in working order. Failure to comply can result in enforcement action, substantial fines, or prosecution, and more importantly, it puts the safety of your staff, customers, and visitors at risk.
Not sure whether your premises are fully compliant? Contact HRB Mech for a no-obligation assessment.
At HRB Mech, we offer commercial emergency lighting services that covers every stage of the process. You won't need to juggle multiple contractors or piece together different parts of the project yourself. We handle everything, giving you peace of mind and a fully compliant system from day one.
Every successful emergency light installation starts with a well-considered design. Our engineers carry out a thorough site survey to understand your building's layout, occupancy, and specific escape route requirements. From there, we produce a system design that meets BS 5266 standards, incorporating lux level calculations, fitting locations, and the most suitable system type for your premises.
Getting the design right matters. An under-specified system may leave areas inadequately lit during an emergency, while a poorly planned layout can result in costly remedial works further down the line. HRB Mech gets it right the first time.
Once the design is agreed, our team supplies and installs all emergency light fittings to the highest standard. We work with a wide range of fitting types to suit different environments and aesthetics, from functional bulkhead units suited to warehouses and plant rooms, through to more discreet recessed fittings appropriate for offices and public-facing spaces.
We install both self-contained units and central battery systems, and our engineers are experienced in maintaining and non-maintained configurations across a variety of commercial settings. Throughout the installation, we work cleanly and efficiently, minimising disruption to your day-to-day operations.
Once your emergency lighting system is installed, every fitting is tested, and the system is fully commissioned before we sign off on the work. You receive a formal installation certificate in line with BS 5266, along with all the supporting documentation you need for your fire safety compliance file.
We also set up your compliance logbook at this stage, so you have a clear and accurate record of the installation and a solid foundation for future testing and maintenance visits.
To remain compliant, emergency lighting systems require regular testing and maintenance throughout their working life. Under BS 5266, this means monthly functional checks and an annual full-duration discharge test, with all results accurately recorded.
HRB Mech offers emergency lighting maintenance contracts that take the pressure off you entirely. Our engineers visit at the agreed intervals, carry out all required tests, update your logbook, and flag any faults or remedial works needed. We also provide reactive call-out support should any issues arise between scheduled visits.
Not every building is the same, and the right type of emergency lighting system will depend on how your premises are used, their size, and the specific risks involved. HRB Mech will advise on the most appropriate solution following your free site survey.
Maintained fittings operate continuously as part of your normal lighting scheme and switch seamlessly to battery backup in the event of a mains power failure. This type of system is commonly specified for cinemas, theatres, and other public assembly venues where lighting must be present at all times, ensuring occupants can always see the escape routes clearly.
Non-maintained fittings remain off during normal operation and illuminate automatically when mains power is lost. This is the most common type of emergency lighting in commercial properties, making it a practical and cost-effective choice for offices, warehouses, retail premises, and industrial buildings.
Self-contained systems have the battery pack integrated directly into each individual fitting. This makes them straightforward to install and maintain, and they are particularly well-suited to smaller premises or retrofit projects where a central battery infrastructure is not practical.Central Battery Systems
Rather than a battery in each fitting, a central battery system powers multiple fittings from a single source. This approach is easier to monitor, simplifies the testing process, and is often the preferred solution for larger commercial buildings or multi-floor premises where a more manageable, centralised approach is beneficial.
Self-test systems automate the monthly and annual testing process, with each fitting running diagnostics at pre-set intervals and recording the results digitally. For busy facilities managers and Responsible Persons, self-test technology significantly reduces the manual burden of compliance and makes audit reporting considerably more straightforward.
We believe the process should be as straightforward and stress-free as possible for our clients. Here is how a typical emergency lighting installation with HRB Mech works.
Step 1 - Free Site Survey: One of our engineers visits your premises to assess your current setup, map out your escape routes, identify key areas requiring illumination, and understand your compliance position.
Step 2 - System Design: We design a BS 5266-compliant emergency lighting layout tailored to your building, selecting the most appropriate system type, fitting positions, and specifications for your needs.
Step 3 - Supply and Installation: Our team supplies and installs all emergency light fittings professionally and efficiently, working around your schedule wherever possible to keep disruption to a minimum.
Step 4 - Commissioning and Testing: Every element of your new system is rigorously tested before handover. We will not sign off until we are confident the system performs exactly as it should.
Step 5 - Certification and Documentation: You receive your installation certificate, a fully populated compliance logbook, and all supporting records for your fire safety file.
Step 6 - Ongoing Support: We are here for the long term. Whether you need a PPM contract, a reactive call-out, or advice on your compliance obligations, HRB Mech is only a call away.
HRB Mech's emergency lighting installers work with a broad range of commercial and public-sector clients across the UK. Whatever your sector, our team has the experience to deliver a compliant, reliable system that suits your premises and the way it is used.
We regularly carry out emergency light installations across offices and business parks, warehouses and industrial units, retail stores and shopping centres, restaurants, pubs and hospitality venues, schools, colleges and universities, healthcare facilities and GP surgeries, hotels and leisure facilities, local authority and public buildings, and HMOs and residential apartment blocks.
If your premises are not listed here, get in touch. If you have people on your site, it is likely that emergency lighting is a requirement, and HRB Mech can help.
There are plenty of contractors who can fit an emergency light. What sets HRB Mech apart is the quality, care, and professionalism we bring to every single job, regardless of size.
Fully Qualified Engineers: All emergency lighting installation work is carried out by competent, experienced engineers who understand the technical and compliance requirements of BS 5266.
End-to-End Service: From design and supply right through to commissioning, certification, and ongoing maintenance, you have one reliable point of contact for the entire project.
BS 5266 Compliant Installations: Every system we install is designed and commissioned to the correct standard. You receive the documentation to prove it.
Full Certification and Documentation: We provide installation certificates, compliance logbooks, and all supporting paperwork as standard. No chasing, no gaps in your records.
Transparent, Competitive Pricing: Free site surveys, clear quotations, and no hidden costs. You know exactly what you are getting before any work begins.
Minimal Disruption: We work efficiently and respectfully around your premises, keeping disruption to your staff and operations to an absolute minimum.
Local, Personal Service: HRB Mech is a UK-wide contractor. You are not dealing with a call centre or a distant head office. You deal with people who take pride in the work they do and in the relationships they build with their clients.
Understanding your legal obligations around emergency lighting does not need to be complicated, but it is important to get it right.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a clear duty on the Responsible Person for any non-domestic building to ensure emergency lighting is installed where it is needed, and that it is properly maintained. This requirement applies regardless of the size of the premises or the number of people using them.
BS 5266 Part 1 provides the technical framework for meeting that duty, setting out how systems should be designed, where fittings should be positioned, how bright escape route lighting needs to be, and how testing and maintenance should be carried out and recorded.
In practical terms, this means your system must be functionally tested every month and subject to a full discharge test every year, with all results recorded accurately in a compliance logbook. These records may be inspected by the fire authority, so it is essential that they are complete and up to date.
Getting your emergency lighting installation right from the outset and keeping it properly maintained protects your business, your staff, and everyone who sets foot in your building. HRB Mech makes that straightforward.
Unsure about your compliance obligations? Speak to HRB Mech. We will help you understand exactly what your premises need.
Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, emergency lighting is a legal requirement for all non-domestic premises in England and Wales where it is needed to safely illuminate escape routes. As the Responsible Person, failing to have a compliant system in place can result in enforcement action, fines, or prosecution.
BS 5266 Part 1 is the British Standard governing the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of emergency lighting systems in commercial and non-domestic buildings. All HRB Mech installations are carried out in full compliance with this standard.
Emergency lighting should be functionally tested every month and subjected to a full discharge test once a year. All results must be recorded in an approved logbook. HRB Mech's PPM contracts cover all of this on your behalf.
Non-maintained fittings only illuminate when mains power fails. Maintained fittings operate continuously as part of your standard lighting and switch to battery backup during a power failure. HRB Mech will advise which type is appropriate for your premises during the site survey.
This depends on the size and complexity of your premises. For a smaller office or retail unit, installation may be completed in a single day. Larger or more complex buildings will take longer. Following your free site survey, HRB Mech will provide a clear timeframe as part of your quotation.
Absolutely. HRB Mech can assess your existing system, identify any shortfalls, and carry out a full upgrade or replacement to bring it up to current BS 5266 standards. This is a common requirement for older commercial buildings where systems have not been updated in several years.
Yes. We offer Planned Preventive Maintenance contracts to ensure your system remains compliant and fully operational throughout the year. Our engineers handle all testing, record-keeping, and remedial work, so you can focus on running your business.
