When should fire safety be integrated into an architectural design?

Fire safety should be considered from the earliest design stages, ideally during the briefing and concept phase. Decisions about building classification, egress paths, extinguisher placement, detection zoning, and emergency lighting need to be coordinated with the structural and ceiling design before documentation is finalised. Retrofitting these elements later increases cost, creates design compromises, and can delay certification.

What Australian Standards apply to fire safety in commercial building design?

Key standards include AS 2444 for the selection and location of portable fire extinguishers, AS 1670.1 for fire detection and alarm systems, AS 2293 for emergency escape luminaires and exit signs, and AS 1851 for the ongoing maintenance of fire protection systems. The National Construction Code, specifically Section C of Volume One, sets the fire resistance and safety requirements for building design.

Can wireless fire alarm systems be used in heritage buildings?

Yes. Wireless mesh alarm systems are specifically suited to heritage buildings where hard-wiring would damage the building fabric. These systems operate entirely cable-free and can be configured to cover complex or constrained spaces without structural intervention. They should be raised as an option with heritage planners and the building certifier early in the project.

What types of fire extinguisher cabinets are available for architectural projects?

Architectural fire safety cabinets are available in recessed, semi-recessed, flush mount, and surface-mount configurations in steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass, and bronze. Custom sizes and finishes are available, including a fully concealed cabinet for custom cladding. Ligature-resistant options are available for healthcare and secure environments.

How do architects coordinate fire safety design with fire contractors?

The most effective approach is to include fire safety coordination in the design brief from the start and to issue tender documentation that specifies cabinet types, system types, and zoning requirements. Early engagement between the design team, the fire contractor, and the fire safety engineer prevents conflicts between the ceiling design, structural framing, and system layout.

Emergency Exit Lighting Compliance

26 May 2026

Emergency exit lighting compliance in Australia is one of those obligations that rarely demands attention until it fails under pressure. The alarm goes off, mains power cuts, and the corridor fills with smoke. Every occupant is now relying on the equipment your team last checked at an audit. That is either a reassuring thought or a concerning one, depending on how rigorously your team maintains the system.

In Australia, AS/NZS 2293 governs emergency escape luminaires and exit signs. The National Construction Code references it directly, and state fire authorities enforce it. It is not a guideline. It is a legal requirement for most commercial, industrial, and public buildings, and non-compliance carries real penalties. More importantly, it carries real risk.

This is what the standard requires, where facilities most often fall short, and what audit-ready compliance looks like in practice.

What Australian Standard 2293 Covers

AS/NZS 2293 covers three distinct parts. Part 1 covers design, installation, and commissioning. Routine service and maintenance obligations fall under Part 2. Part 3 sets the performance requirements for luminaires and exit signs.

Most facility managers are reasonably across Part 1 when a building is first fitted out. The gaps tend to appear in Part 2, which is the ongoing obligation that never goes away.

The standard applies to two distinct systems that must work together:

Emergency escape luminaires: These illuminate floor-level pathways when mains power fails, providing safe movement through corridors, stairwells, and egress routes.
Exit signs: These mark the exits themselves, using the running-man symbol under AS/NZS 2293.3, and must be visible from a defined viewing distance printed directly on the sign face.

Both systems must perform for a minimum of 90 minutes after mains power failure. That 90-minute floor-level light level must reach at least 0.2 lux (average 0.5 lux) in general areas, and at least 1 lux in stairwells.

Checkpoint Group's range of exit and emergency lighting covers the full spread of mounting configurations, including wall mount, ceiling mount, recessed blade, weatherproof, and twin-spot options, so you will find a compliant fitting for every building type and application.

The NCC's Part E4 on visibility, exit signs and warning systems sets out precisely how an emergency lighting system must operate to minimise risk during an evacuation, and makes compliance with AS/NZS 2293.1 a legal requirement for every required emergency lighting system in Australia.

The Testing Schedule Most Facilities Get Wrong

The maintenance requirements under AS/NZS 2293 Part 2 are specific, and they are where most facilities accumulate compliance risk over time. The schedule is not annual. It runs at monthly, six-monthly, annual, and ten-yearly intervals, each with distinct obligations.

Here is what each tier requires:

Monthly: A visual inspection confirming all luminaires and exit signs work correctly, show no damage, and have no obstructions. This is a quick check, but your team must complete and record it every month.

Six-monthly: A full 90-minute discharge test of every emergency and exit light on the premises, carried out by a competent person and logged in the maintenance register. This is the test most facilities either skip, defer, or perform incorrectly. The discharge must run for the full 90 minutes to confirm battery capacity under load.

Annual: A full inspection building on the six-monthly test, including review of mounting positions, viewing distances, egress path coverage, and a check of all documentation.

Ten-yearly: A comprehensive assessment of the entire system, including battery replacement where required and a full performance review against the current version of the standard.

Keep records on-premises in a logbook, paper or digital, for a minimum of seven years. When an auditor or building inspector arrives, those records need to be available immediately. Saying "we had it tested last year" without documentation to back it up does not constitute compliance.

What Gets Missed in Audits

Emergency lighting failures in compliance audits tend to cluster around the same issues. They are not usually the result of broken equipment. They trace back to maintenance that drifted, documentation that nobody kept, or installations that were never quite right from the start.

SafeWork NSW is direct on the point: every PCBU must ensure lighting enables safe evacuation in an emergency. The regulator also requires a competent person to test and maintain emergency lighting on a regular basis, and references the AS/NZS 2293 series as the applicable standard. That obligation sits with you regardless of whether you manage a commercial office, an industrial facility, or a construction site.

The most common audit failures:

Inadequate viewing distance: Exit signs carry a printed maximum viewing distance on the face, either 24 metres or 40 metres depending on the sign specification. Placing a 24-metre sign at the end of a 30-metre corridor fails compliance, even if the sign lights up and occupants can see it clearly.
Incorrect mounting height: Signs mounted below 2 metres or incorrectly positioned above 2.7 metres can fail inspection. Door head alignment matters.
Obstructed sightlines: Shelving, signage, roller doors, and temporary partitions introduced after installation can block a previously compliant egress path. A system that passed at fit-out may not pass today if the layout has changed.
Incomplete discharge testing: A test stopped before 90 minutes, or performed without recording the result, does not satisfy Part 2. Many facilities note that someone "conducted" a test but record neither the duration nor the outcome.
Gaps in coverage: Fitout extensions, renovations, or subdivisions where nobody updated the emergency lighting plan to match.

The annual fire safety audit overview on the Checkpoint Group blog covers common oversights across multiple fire safety systems. Emergency lighting consistently appears on that list, and for good reason. It is the system most people assume is fine because the green light on the fitting is still on.

Maintained and Non-Maintained Fittings: Know the Difference

One distinction that matters in both specification and compliance is the difference between maintained and non-maintained emergency fittings.

A maintained fitting operates continuously as part of the normal lighting circuit. The fitting stays illuminated at all times, with the emergency module taking over if power fails. Cinemas, theatres, and any space requiring continuously visible exit routes typically use maintained fittings regardless of normal lighting conditions.

A non-maintained fitting only activates when mains power fails. These are standard in most commercial and industrial settings, where normal lighting is sufficient during operation.

The distinction affects how you test, how you document, and how you interpret what a "working" fitting means. A non-maintained fitting that looks fine during a normal inspection may still fail the 90-minute discharge test if the battery has degraded. Condition on the outside tells you nothing about battery capacity under load.

Exit Lighting in the Context of Your Broader Safety Setup

Emergency exit lighting does not operate in isolation. It is one component of a broader emergency response infrastructure that includes alarm systems, emergency warning systems, and egress planning. A lighting system that meets AS 2293 but feeds into a poorly documented evacuation plan has not solved the underlying safety problem.

When Checkpoint Group reviews a site's safety setup, our team assesses exit and emergency lighting alongside emergency warning systems, signage, and fire protection equipment. The question is not just whether the individual components comply. It is whether they work together effectively when the situation demands it.

If you are not certain your current emergency lighting setup would survive a compliance audit, the gap between "probably fine" and "definitely compliant" is not a comfortable place to sit.

Frequently Asked Questions

AS/NZS 2293 sets the design, installation, and maintenance requirements for emergency escape luminaires and exit signs in Australian buildings. It requires exit paths to be illuminated at a minimum of 0.2 lux (average 0.5 lux) for 90 minutes after mains power failure, with stairwells requiring at least 1 lux. The standard mandates a maintenance schedule including monthly visual checks, six-monthly 90-minute discharge tests, and annual inspections, all of which must be documented and retained on-premises.

The testing schedule under AS/NZS 2293 Part 2 runs at four intervals: monthly visual inspections, six-monthly 90-minute full discharge tests, annual comprehensive inspections, and ten-yearly system reviews. The six-monthly 90-minute discharge test is the most commonly missed obligation. All testing must be recorded in a maintenance logbook and retained for a minimum of seven years.

A maintained fitting operates continuously as part of the normal lighting circuit and activates its emergency module when power fails. A non-maintained fitting only activates when mains power fails. Non-maintained fittings are standard in most commercial and industrial settings. Both types must satisfy the 90-minute performance requirement under AS/NZS 2293, but they differ in how they are tested and what a passing inspection looks like.

The most frequent audit failures involve incomplete 90-minute discharge testing, missing or incomplete maintenance records, exit signs with inadequate viewing distance for the space they serve, incorrect mounting heights, and obstructed sightlines caused by changes to the building layout after the original installation.

Yes. AS/NZS 2293 applies to most non-residential buildings, including commercial offices, industrial facilities, warehouses, healthcare premises, and retail spaces. Compliance is a legal requirement under the National Construction Code and enforced by state and territory fire authorities.

Maintenance records for emergency escape lighting and exit signs should be kept for a minimum of seven years and must be available on-premises for inspection. Records can be maintained in paper or digital format, provided they are signed off annually by a competent person.

Is Your Emergency Lighting Audit-Ready?

Compliance with AS 2293 is not a one-time task. It is a continuous maintenance obligation with specific testing intervals, documentation requirements, and performance standards that apply for the life of the building.

If you are not confident your current system is fully compliant, or if your maintenance records have gaps, Checkpoint Group can review your emergency lighting setup and identify exactly where the risks sit. From supply through to ongoing maintenance, our team works with facility managers and safety officers across Australia to keep exit and emergency lighting performing to standard.

Get in touch with the Checkpoint Group team to discuss an emergency lighting review for your site.