New office partitions: does the emergency lighting need changing?

A working fitting can still be in the wrong place

Imagine an open-plan office split into a meeting room and a corridor. An existing emergency light may still switch on, but now sits on the other side of the new partition. This is an illustrative example, not a Crest case study. The question is whether the revised route has adequate emergency illumination, not simply whether the old fitting operates.

The government's fire-risk guide for offices and shops says to review the assessment when a significant change affects fire precautions. Its escape-lighting guidance considers the routes people use to leave. Discuss the proposed layout before partitions are fixed or ceilings closed.

Ask for three separate parts of the work

• Assessment and design: establish whether the proposed rooms, routes, exits and signs are adequately served, and identify any necessary changes.
• Installation: price the agreed changes, including access, wiring routes, making good and coordination with the builder.
• Completion and ongoing care: agree commissioning, records and how the altered system will enter the maintenance programme.

These are useful headings for comparing quotes, not a claim that every project needs three different contractors. BAFE describes design, installation, commissioning and maintenance as distinct service modules. If a supplier cites BAFE registration, check that the actual modules cover the work you need. Do not assume a maintenance appointment includes a redesign.

Our emergency-lighting testing guide covers routine testing. A test record remains useful evidence about the equipment; it does not by itself answer a new layout question.

Build a before-and-after brief

The following is a practical brief to agree with your project team. It is not a technical design or a substitute for the fire risk assessment.

• Two dated drawings: show the current layout and proposed layout, with the revision you want quoted. Mark new partitions, doors, rooms and changes to circulation.
• How the space will be used: describe any change in occupancy, opening hours or visitors, and flag known access needs to the assessor. A room name alone can hide an important change in use.
• Existing information: gather the fire risk assessment, emergency-lighting drawings, commissioning information and recent test and fault records. Clearly list what is missing.
• Project boundaries: identify whether the work stops at your tenancy boundary or affects shared corridors, stairs or final exits. Name the landlord or managing-agent contact where relevant.
• Site constraints: explain ceiling access, working hours, rooms that must remain occupied and the proposed construction sequence. Ask what can safely remain in use during the works.
• Approval and handover: name the person who approves the revised scope and the person who receives the final records. Agree how later drawing changes will be assessed and priced.

For an office project in Milton Keynes or the surrounding four counties, send the site address as well as the plans. A photograph can help explain access, but it cannot establish the performance of an emergency-lighting design.

Keep the fire-safety and electrical roles clear

In England, the responsible person must carry out and regularly review the fire risk assessment and keep a written record. If they lack the expertise or time, GOV.UK says to appoint a competent person to help. Booking an electrical alteration does not automatically commission that wider assessment.

Ask who is supplying the agreed fire-safety requirements, who designs the lighting response and who installs and commissions it. For leased offices, share the relevant plans with the landlord or managing agent and establish who deals with any common areas. Do not leave each party assuming that another contractor has included the work.

What should the revised quote and handover say?

Request a written scope tied to the approved drawing. It should identify the assessment or design included, the fittings or circuits affected, any work excluded and the process for agreeing an additional requirement found on site. Ask for the intended certification and commissioning records to be named rather than accepting a vague promise of a certificate.

At handover, ask for a record of what was actually installed, the relevant test and commissioning results, instructions and any outstanding actions. Check that the information uses the final room and fitting references, so future fault reports can identify the right equipment. Keep it with the premises' fire-safety and maintenance records.

The useful outcome may be confirmation that existing equipment can be retained, a targeted alteration, or a more substantial redesign. New partitions do not automatically justify replacing every emergency light. Equally, an old test pass is not a reason to skip assessment of a changed route.

Arrange the review before the fit-out is fixed

Crest Electrical Contractors handles emergency-lighting installation enquiries and commercial electrical work across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire. Send the site address, current and proposed plans, available records and intended programme so we can discuss the survey and scope required. Request a quote for the electrical work.

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