Emergency lights and illuminated exit signs are easy to ignore because they are designed for the moment normal lighting fails. For a commercial building, a fitting that appears normal during day-to-day operation may still have a failed battery, damaged diffuser, poor visibility or insufficient emergency duration when it is actually needed.
Practical guidance for facilities teams, business operators and property managers responsible for commercial electrical reliability and planned works.
Who is responsible in Queensland
Queensland guidance places maintenance obligations on building owners and occupiers for prescribed fire safety installations. The practical responsibility can depend on how the building is occupied: a tenant is generally responsible for installations within its tenancy, while building management usually controls common areas.
Queensland Development Code MP 6.1 applies to Class 1b and Class 2–9 buildings, including existing buildings. It does not generally apply to detached houses, townhouses or Class 10 structures such as domestic sheds and garages.
How often should emergency and exit lights be tested?
Emergency lighting and exit signs are generally inspected and tested at six-monthly intervals under the applicable maintenance standard, AS/NZS 2293.2. The schedule should be treated as a recurring compliance task, not something left until a fitting visibly fails.
Sites should also confirm any building-specific fire safety requirements, maintenance schedules or performance solutions that impose additional obligations.
What happens during the 90-minute discharge test?
The emergency lighting circuit is placed into test mode so the battery-backed fittings operate without normal mains power. The fittings must remain operational for the required 90-minute test period, after which normal supply is restored and the system is checked for correct return to service.
A sound visit also includes a visual inspection of each fitting and exit sign, confirmation that exit directions remain visible and appropriate, identification of damaged or failed components, and recording of the test result.
What records should the site retain?
The test record should identify the site, date, fittings tested, results, defects and corrective work required. Records should be kept with the building fire safety documentation so they are available for compliance reviews and audits.
Queensland guidance also requires the building occupier to provide a yearly occupier statement to the Queensland Fire Department confirming prescribed fire safety installations have been maintained in accordance with the relevant standard or recommendation.
What does HVACR Group charge?
HVACR Group charges $395 plus GST for up to 10 emergency or exit light fittings, then $20 plus GST for each additional fitting. The price includes attendance, visual inspection, the required 90-minute discharge test, restoration to normal operation and a test/compliance record.
Repairs, replacement fittings or batteries, access equipment and abnormal access are excluded and quoted separately. The normal administration fee and fuel or travel levy apply unless they are specifically included in a client contract.
Why combine this with planned electrical maintenance?
Emergency and exit-light testing is predictable, recurring work. Combining it with a commercial electrical maintenance schedule gives facilities teams one defect list, one service history and a clear pathway from failed test to repair.
For multi-site operators, using the same fitting register and reporting format across every location makes missed tests, repeat failures and replacement needs much easier to control.
Official Queensland guidance
- Queensland Government: Fire safety installations in buildings
- Queensland Fire Department: Building owners and occupiers
- QBCC: Emergency lighting inspect and test licensing
Practical checklist
- Schedule testing every six months
- Keep an accurate fitting register by location
- Allow the full 90-minute discharge period
- Record every pass, failure and defect
- Restore and confirm normal operation after testing
- Quote and close out failed batteries or fittings
- Retain test records with the site fire safety documentation
PRACTICAL NEXT STEP
Turn electrical faults into clear corrective work.
HVACR Group provides commercial electrical fault finding, repairs, maintenance and project work across South East Queensland, with refrigeration and HVAC capability where systems overlap.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions commercial operators ask
How often do emergency lights need to be tested in Queensland?
Emergency lighting and exit signs are generally inspected and tested every six months under AS/NZS 2293.2. Building-specific requirements should also be checked.
Does the test really take 90 minutes?
Yes. The discharge test requires the battery-backed fittings to operate for the required 90-minute period before normal supply is restored and operation is confirmed.
What happens if a fitting fails?
The failed fitting, battery or related defect should be recorded and repaired or replaced. Repair costs are separate from the scheduled inspection and test.
How much does HVACR Group charge?
The standard price is $395 plus GST for up to 10 fittings, then $20 plus GST for each additional fitting. Repairs, replacement parts, access equipment and abnormal access are additional.
Can this be included in a broader maintenance agreement?
Yes. Emergency and exit-light testing can be scheduled with other commercial electrical, HVAC and refrigeration maintenance so due dates, records and corrective work are managed through one contractor.