At a glance
| Document | What it is | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Visit report | What you did on this test | After a monthly or annual visit — hand it over before you leave |
| Site certificate | Standing record for the installation | Annual; kept with the building file and logbook |
| Logbook | Running history of tests and repairs | Every test — monthly and annual |
Most annual visits need the visit report and an updated site certificate, plus a logbook entry. A monthly flick test often only needs the logbook — unless the client wants a visit report every time.
Visit report (periodic inspection report)
This is the paperwork for this test. Client and building, what was checked, what failed, when you are next due, and who signed it off. Two pages in Beacon’s layout.
Use it after a monthly or annual test when you want something the client can file with the logbook — not just a scribbled note.
Free download
Blank visit report PDF
Same layout Beacon fills from the test. No signup.
Site certificate (periodic inspection and testing)
This is the record for the building — client, premises, your declaration, and the inspection results table. Four pages. It sits with the emergency lighting logbook as evidence the installation has been periodically inspected.
It is not for brand-new installations. New work, alterations, or verifying an old system against a newer code edition need different certificates.
Free download
Blank site certificate PDF
Four pages — client, building, results, signature.
The logbook
The logbook is the running history: every monthly function test, every annual duration test, defects found, and remedial work. It should stay on the premises (or be available there) for the life of the system. What each entry needs: emergency lighting logbook — what to record.
Visit reports and site certificates support the logbook — they do not replace it. Gaps in monthly entries are a common finding even when the annual certificate looks fine.
For the testing schedule itself, see how often to test emergency lighting.
When you need which
- Monthly function test — always update the logbook. Issue a visit report if the client wants one (many do for contractor visits).
- Annual duration test — logbook entry, visit report for the work just done, and usually an updated or newly issued site certificate.
- New installation — completion paperwork, not these periodic forms.
Rewriting the fitting list every year is how certificates and logbooks drift apart. Keep a living site register — the fitting list you update between visits instead of rewriting from scratch — so each visit starts from the same fittings.
