{"id":7523,"date":"2022-07-06T15:33:19","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T14:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/safecility.com\/?p=7523"},"modified":"2022-07-07T13:25:54","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T12:25:54","slug":"self-test-emergency-lighting-vs-ats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/safecility.com\/self-test-emergency-lighting-vs-ats\/","title":{"rendered":"Self Test Emergency Lighting vs Automatic Testing Systems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Self-test emergency lighting and automatic testing systems both fall under the heading of \u2018Automatic Testing<\/strong><\/a>‘, however, they operate quite differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The simplest way to distinguish between the two systems is to think about how they report <\/em>the results of emergency lighting testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What\u2019s the difference?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Automatic testing systems test emergency lighting and then generate a full report <\/strong>detailing if lights have passed or failed via a panel or software portal. This whole process happens automatically and without any human intervention. That means no paperwork or data entry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-test emergency lights check themselves automatically and display their pass\/fail status via an LED on the light. However when it comes to reporting results a competent person still needs to go to the light, check that it has passed and report<\/strong> the results manually<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To summarise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automatic testing systems = Automatic testing and automatic record keeping<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-test emergency lighting = Automatic testing and manual record keeping<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Which is better?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both systems remove the need for in-person emergency lighting testing making monthly or quarterly testing more efficient and less disruptive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when it comes to time saving and accuracy, Automatic Testing Systems that take care of testing all the way through to record keeping are the clear winner. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that said, automatic testing systems have not always been accessible. Traditionally they\u2019ve been wired, are difficult to install and less than ideal for retrofitting to existing buildings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newer wireless automatic testing systems have come on to the market in recent years that thankfully negate the need for a full rewire. However, in most cases they are supplied by a specific lighting vendor and in order for the system to work require emergency lighting to be switched over to the vendor’s own brand of lighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If automatic testing systems are not an option many building owners instead opt for self-test lighting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pros and cons<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about the pros and cons of the two systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automatic Test Systems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Pros<\/b><\/p>\n