Emergency Lighting Checklist Chart

Use this worksheet after the calculator result to document egress area notes, fixture count, connected watts, backup duration, unit equipment, battery or source data, illumination target, testing interval, listing instructions, and AHJ follow-up.

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Quick reference table

An emergency lighting checklist chart is a calculator-led safety planning worksheet, not an emergency-lighting design approval. It organizes backup-load and duration results with egress areas, unit equipment, power source, testing records, manufacturer listing instructions, adopted NEC checks, NFPA life-safety review, OSHA workplace egress expectations, and AHJ follow-up.

Emergency lighting checklist worksheet

Emergency lighting checklist worksheet
Checklist item	Record from calculator	Required follow-up
Egress and task areas	Area label and fixture locations	Match locations to egress path and required task areas
Fixture and sign count	Quantity and watts per unit	Confirm emergency function, listing, and circuit source
Backup duration	Required or selected duration	Verify adopted code, owner, and equipment basis
Power source	Battery, unit equipment, inverter, or generator path	Check transfer, maintenance, and manufacturer data
Testing and records	Inspection interval and notes	Document responsible party and AHJ follow-up

Emergency lighting verification routing

Emergency lighting verification routing
Verification item	Document on chart	Why it stays separate
Illumination coverage	Planning fc/lux, egress area, field check note	Watt-hours do not prove light reaches every required point
Unit equipment	Battery voltage, lamp heads, charger, listing note	Listed instructions can control installation and maintenance
Emergency source	Battery, inverter, generator, or transfer path	Source type changes testing, wiring, and maintenance review
Circuiting	Normal/emergency circuit source and controls	Switching or controls can defeat intended emergency operation
Records	Test interval, responsible party, open items	Emergency systems require continuing inspection and documentation

Formula basis

Planning watt-hours = connected emergency lighting watts x backup hours / equipment efficiency.

Connected watts are the emergency fixtures, unit equipment, exit signs, or related loads included in the calculator.
Backup hours are the required or project-specified emergency operation duration entered for screening.
Equipment efficiency is the documented battery, inverter, or emergency power factor used for planning.
Illumination target, egress coverage, testing, and listing requirements must be verified outside the arithmetic result.

Worked examples

Emergency unit-equipment recordRecord fixture and exit-sign count, connected watts, selected backup duration, battery voltage, calculated watt-hours, test interval, listing notes, and adopted-code or AHJ items still open.

Generator-backed emergency lighting pathWhen emergency lighting is supplied through a generator or inverter path, keep transfer method, fixture load, source runtime, branch circuit, testing responsibility, and manufacturer instructions beside the calculator result.

Assumptions. Balanced load and line-to-line voltage assumptions behind this chart.

This checklist is a planning record only and does not replace listed equipment instructions, emergency-lighting layout, field measurements, commissioning, maintenance records, or AHJ review.
Emergency lighting requirements depend on occupancy, egress path, adopted codes, equipment listing, power source, transfer method, and local enforcement.
A battery or generator capacity screen does not prove illumination coverage, automatic transfer behavior, control bypass, or continuing test compliance.

Code and standard notes. Planning limits that should be checked before final equipment selection.

Use this chart as a commissioning checklist; verify adopted NEC emergency-system rules, NFPA life-safety requirements, OSHA workplace egress expectations, equipment manufacturer data, listing instructions, maintenance/testing records, and AHJ requirements before installation or acceptance review.

How to use this chart

1Start with the emergency resultBring over fixture count, exit-sign count, connected watts, backup duration, battery or power-source data, and calculated capacity.

2Separate load from coverageA battery or watt-hour result does not prove that the egress areas, task areas, or equipment locations receive enough light.

3Close the authority pathUse the checklist to record adopted NEC path, NFPA life-safety review, OSHA workplace egress expectations, equipment listing, manufacturer data, testing records, and AHJ follow-up.

Worksheet checklist. Record source basis, review gaps, and assumptions before using the chart result.

Capture equipment scheduleList fixture types, exit signs, unit equipment, emergency drivers, inverter or generator path, connected watts, and egress area labels.
Capture runtime and sourceDocument backup duration, battery voltage or source rating, efficiency, transfer assumptions, controls, and maintenance access.
Capture verification itemsRecord illumination target, egress areas, field check need, testing interval, responsible party, manufacturer instructions, listing notes, and AHJ review status.

Common mistakes to avoid. Review these before turning chart current into an equipment decision.

Treating watt-hour capacity as proof that every egress point has acceptable illumination.
Leaving testing, maintenance, equipment listing, or AHJ follow-up outside the emergency-lighting record.
Forgetting that controls, transfer method, normal-circuit failure behavior, and unit-equipment instructions can change the emergency-lighting path.

Frequently asked questions

These answers explain how to use the chart without turning a quick reference into a final design decision.

Does the checklist approve an emergency lighting design?

No. It documents calculator inputs and follow-up items. The actual design still needs adopted-code review, listed equipment data, photometric or field checks, testing records, and AHJ acceptance where required.

Why include testing and records in a sizing chart?

Emergency lighting is not only an arithmetic load. The installed system must remain available, so testing, maintenance, responsible-party notes, and equipment documentation belong with the result.