Free checklist
Emergency lighting and exit signs annual maintenance checklist
The annual emergency lighting service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 101, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 4
- Photos required
- 6
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The building engineer or the electrical service tech running the full-duration discharge, recording start, end and any early dropouts on the site record.
When in the schedule
Once a year, scheduled when the extended discharge can run without leaving occupied areas in the dark, and coordinated so units are recharged and back in service before the space is used.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Duration discharge observed
- 3 photos
Full-duration discharge run and walked to the end
Normal power cut and units run on battery for the full required duration, the egress path walked at the end of the run to confirm heads and exit faces are still adequately lit.
- 1 photo
Early dropouts identified during the run
Any head, combo unit or exit sign that dims or drops before the end of the discharge identified by location and flagged for battery replacement.
Restoration
- 1 photo
Units recharged and returned to normal after the run
Normal power restored, charge indicators confirmed recovering on each unit, no fixture left showing a fault before the area is put back in service.
Documentation
- 1 photo
Discharge result and failed units recorded on the building side
Discharge date, duration and each unit that failed or dropped early logged with a photo and its location on the site record so replacements can be tracked to closure.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Discharge started but never walked at the end of the run, so a unit that quit partway through the required duration is recorded as having passed.
- One or two heads that dropped early during the discharge noted but not tracked to a battery replacement, so the same units fail again next year.
- Units cut short and switched back before they are fully recharged, so the next real outage finds them only partly restored.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 6 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this emergency lighting and exit signs annual checklist cover?
- 4 items across 3 sections, covering duration discharge observed, restoration, documentation. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The building engineer or the electrical service tech running the full-duration discharge, recording start, end and any early dropouts on the site record.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, scheduled when the extended discharge can run without leaving occupied areas in the dark, and coordinated so units are recharged and back in service before the space is used.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 6 of the 4 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a emergency lighting and exit signs annual inspection?
- Discharge started but never walked at the end of the run, so a unit that quit partway through the required duration is recorded as having passed. One or two heads that dropped early during the discharge noted but not tracked to a battery replacement, so the same units fail again next year. Units cut short and switched back before they are fully recharged, so the next real outage finds them only partly restored.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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