AS2293.1-2018
Section 3.3.1
Facilities shall be provided for conducting a discharge test on all emergency luminaires and exit signs without requiring the disconnection of supply to the normal lighting.
Emergency lighting is an important system within properties to provide illumination and directional instructions during emergencies and power outages. Without sufficient lighting, occupants within a building can become disorientated and unaware of potential hazards in their path of travel.
When the general lighting fails within a building the emergency and exit lighting becomes the sole source of illumination allowing people to safely move around and evacuate. Because of this, it is critical that the general lighting and emergency lighting do not fail to operate simultaneously.
It is required to carry out a functional battery discharge test of the emergency and exit lighting, every six months to ensure that all fittings maintain their illumination for a minimum of 90 minutes.
The importance of this testing cannot be understated as it is one of the most crucial essential safety elements in aiding a safe and effective evacuation of a building when an emergency does occur.
In cases where installing contractors have incorrectly wired the emergency lighting and general lighting together, the test scenario can cause all lighting to turn off. This leaves large sections and, in some cases, entire buildings without sufficient lighting.
When this occurs the testing that is mandated for occupant safety literally becomes the hazard it’s designed to prevent.
Imagine a scenario where someone is walking down a flight of stairs when the test stairs and is suddenly plunged into complete darkness. The risk of a trip and fall down the flight of stairs and personal injury become a reality.
This is why it has been required since at least 1995 for the Emergency & Exit lighting system to be tested without impacting the operation of general lighting circuits.
IMPORTANT NOTE
As an important side note, it is physically possible to have all the lighting on a combined circuit, so long as there is the means to activate the discharge test via a test facility. This could be a traditional emergency test switch or in more complex facilities wireless or networked testing systems can be installed to regularly monitor the fittings automatically.