CF ChatterFix
Safety Inspection

Emergency Lighting & Exit Sign Test

Emergency lighting has one job: getting people out of a dark building. The failure mode is almost always the battery, which degrades invisibly over years and is only revealed by an actual discharge test.

Interval Monthly
Est. Duration 1.0 hr
Steps 3
Applies To Facilities & Property Management

The Procedure

The steps ChatterFix schedules for this PM. Every step is a checkable item on the work order — a technician can speak their way through it without touching a keyboard.

  1. Trigger a 30-second discharge test on each unit
  2. Confirm exit signs illuminate and are unobstructed
  3. Replace failed lamps and batteries; log the result

Why This PM Exists

Emergency lighting has one job: getting people out of a dark building. The failure mode is almost always the battery, which degrades invisibly over years and is only revealed by an actual discharge test.

What Skipping It Looks Like

Fixtures that look fine, test green on their indicator, and produce no light during a real outage — plus a straightforward code violation.

Setting the interval

A 30-second functional test monthly and a full-duration (typically 90 minute) test annually is the common code requirement. Keep the log.

Equipment This Covers

Common Questions

How often should this PM run?
Monthly. A 30-second functional test monthly and a full-duration (typically 90 minute) test annually is the common code requirement. Keep the log.
How long does it take?
Budget about 1.0 hour for a technician working to the standard procedure. ChatterFix uses that estimate for capacity planning, then learns your plant's actual time from completed work orders.
What happens if we skip it?
Fixtures that look fine, test green on their indicator, and produce no light during a real outage — plus a straightforward code violation.
Can I use this checklist in ChatterFix?
Yes — this exact procedure ships in the Facilities & Property Management industry pack. Pick your industry at signup and it is scheduled on the right assets automatically, with no configuration.

Related Procedures

Stop Retyping Your PM Library

This procedure — and every other PM for your industry — is already built into ChatterFix. Pick your industry and it lands on the right equipment, on the right interval, in about three minutes.