Emergency-lighting records are most useful when another person can understand them without relying on the colleague who made the entry. For Rochdale shops, offices and workplaces, a consistent way of identifying fittings can make maintenance handovers clearer and help avoid confusion between similar lights.
Give each fitting a recognisable reference in your records. Pair an existing asset number with a plain description such as the floor, room and nearby doorway. Ask your maintenance provider to agree the naming system, and use the same references on plans, inspection sheets and service reports. Do not cover labels, indicators or the illuminated sign with a sticker.
Keep a current list of the fittings covered by the maintenance arrangements. Include illuminated exit signs as well as other emergency lights where present. When equipment is replaced or rooms are renamed, update the list so an old description does not send the next engineer to the wrong place. A location photograph can help, provided it is stored with the correct reference.
Record what was actually checked. A useful entry identifies the date, person carrying out the check, relevant fitting references, result and any follow-up required. Keep routine checks distinguishable from an engineer's service or duration-test report. Do not fill in a successful result for a fitting that could not be accessed or was not checked.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service advises monthly emergency-lighting tests and recording inspections of fire precautions. Agree the appropriate testing method and full maintenance programme for your installation with a competent provider, using the manufacturer's instructions and relevant premises guidance. A green indicator or an illuminated sign during normal operation does not by itself demonstrate how the system will perform throughout a power failure.
Make the record accessible to the people who need it. Keep one clearly identified current version, with service reports and outstanding actions linked to the same fitting references. Name a deputy who can find the information when the usual contact is away. In shared premises, agree which records the landlord holds and which your business maintains.
Before the next maintenance visit, check that the engineer can reach the relevant areas and that unresolved entries are easy to find. Ask for the returned report to use the same references, then update the record with the work actually completed. Treat an unresolved fault as an action for the responsible person, not as a completed check simply because a visit has been booked.
Spicy Protect helps businesses with emergency lighting in Rochdale, Greater Manchester and across the North West. To discuss your premises and maintenance arrangements, call 0161 339 7072 or email hello@spicyprotect.com.