The AS 2293 Trilogy: Why AS/NZS 2293.3 is the Standard You Can’t Ignore

The Foundation | What is AS/NZS 2293.3 and Why Is It (Probably) Not the Standard You’re Thinking Of?

Let’s start with a story. A builder I know, let’s call him “Mark,” was working on a small office fit-out. To save the client some money, he sourced his emergency “spitfire” lights from an overseas online marketplace. They looked identical to the local ones, had a test button, and were a fraction of the price. He installed them, the green light came on, and everyone was happy.

Fast forward six months. The building’s fire safety assessor comes to do the first Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) inspection. He fails the entire building.

Why? Because those cheap lights had no AS/NZS 2293.3:2018 compliance. They had no valid test reports from a NATA-accredited lab, no official classification, and no proof they were built to Australian standards. They were, in a legal sense, just plastic boxes with batteries. Mark had to rip every single one out and replace them with compliant fittings, destroying his profit and his relationship with the client. 

This is the most common—and costly—mistake I see. People don’t understand the “compliance chain.” When we talk about life-saving systems, especially in a country where 188 worker fatalities were recorded in 2024 and 146,700 serious workers’ compensation claims were lodged in 2023-24, “close enough” is a liability that can cost you your business.

Most people who talk about “AS 2293” are usually thinking of the parts they interact with. But the AS/NZS 2293 series is a trilogy, and you can’t understand it without knowing the role each part plays.

The 3-Part Ecosystem of Emergency Lighting 

Think of building a compliant system like baking a complex cake. You have:

1. AS/NZS 2293.1: The Blueprint (The Recipe)
2. AS/NZS 2293.2: The Rulebook (The Baking & Tasting Schedule)
3. AS/NZS 2293.3: The Parts List (The Certified Ingredients)

You can’t have a compliant cake if your ingredients are wrong, even if you follow the recipe perfectly.

Part 1: AS/NZS 2293.1:2018 – The Blueprint (System Design, Installation, and Operation)

This is the standard for designers and installers. It’s the “blueprint” that tells you where to put the lights and how the system must work. It answers questions like:  

• Where do I need lights? In fire-isolated stairs, in corridors, in any room over 100m² without direct egress, in any storey over 300m² (as called up by the NCC).   
• How much light is needed? This is the big one. The design must achieve a minimum of 0.2 lux at floor level along the entire path of travel, and a minimum of 1 lux on stair treads. 
• How far apart can I put them? Part 1 provides two ways to prove this: the simple spacing tables (which we’ll cover in Article 2) or a full illuminance calculation (a complex lighting design).  
• How long must they last? The system must provide this light for a minimum of 90 minutes after a power failure.  

This standard is the design. It’s the plan. But a plan is useless without the other two parts.

Part 2: AS/NZS 2293.2:2019 – The Rulebook (Routine Service and Maintenance)

This is the standard for building owners and fire safety professionals. This is the “Rulebook” that tells you how to test and maintain the system for its entire life. This is the part that generates the ongoing cost and the legal paperwork. Its key mandates include:  

• The 6-Monthly 90-Minute Discharge Test: This is the headline act. Twice a year, a competent person must simulate a blackout and every single light must stay on for 90 minutes. 
• The Logbook: This is your legal shield. Every test, every inspection, every failure, and every replacement must be recorded in a logbook. An empty logbook is legally the same as a non-existent system.  
• 10-Yearly & End of Light Source Life (LSL) Replacement: This is a newer rule to deal with LEDs. It formalises that fittings (and their batteries) don’t last forever and mandates their replacement. 

This is the standard that ensures the “Blueprint” from Part 1 actually works on the day of the emergency.

Part 3: AS/NZS 2293.3:2018 – The Parts List (Emergency Luminaires and Exit Signs)

And now we arrive at the foundation. The standard you thought you knew. AS/NZS 2293.3:2018 (with its 2021 amendment ) is the “Parts List”. 

It has almost nothing to do with installation or maintenance. It’s a standard almost exclusively for manufacturers and test labs. 

It specifies the design, construction, performance, and testing methods for the products themselves. It answers questions like: 

• How must the plastic casing be constructed?
• What markings must be on the product?  
• How do we test the light output (luminous intensity)? 
• How do we test the battery and charger circuit? 
• What exact shape, colour, and size must the “Running Man” pictogram be?  

This standard’s only job is to ensure that a product sold as an “emergency light” is capable of doing the job that Part 1 and Part 2 will demand of it.

The “Insider” Detail Most Blogs Miss: The NATA-Accredited Lab

This is where my builder friend “Mark” went wrong. He assumed that because his cheap light looked the same, it was the same.

But to be compliant in Australia, a manufacturer can’t just say their product meets AS/NZS 2293.3. They must prove it. This proof must come in the form of a test report from a laboratory that is NATA-accredited (or an equivalent body) for that specific standard. 

This is a non-negotiable step. That NATA report is the product’s “birth certificate.” It’s the only proof that the product was built and tested correctly. Without it, the product is just an uncertified piece of electronics.

The Chain of Compliance: How a Bad “Part 3” Voids Everything

Now, let’s tie it all together. See if you can spot the “Mark” scenario.

1. An architect uses Part 1 to design a system. They use the spacing tables, which tell them a “D40” classified light can be spaced 18 metres apart.  
2. The builder, “Mark,” buys a cheap, non-compliant light. It has no Part 3 test report. It has no official “D40” classification (it just has a sticker the overseas factory printed on it).
3. The building owner hires a fire company to do the Part 2 maintenance. At the first 6-monthly test, the light’s battery fails at 20 minutes, not 90. Or, worse, the assessor’s light meter shows the fitting is only a “D20,” not a “D40,” creating a massive black spot between the fittings that’s well below the 0.2 lux minimum.

The system is non-compliant. The entire chain is broken at the very first link: the product. 

The design from Part 1 is invalid because it was based on a classification (D40) that the product never legally had. The maintenance from Part 2 is an automatic “fail” because the system cannot perform to the design.

Conclusion: Part 3 is Your Guarantee

So, while you may never read AS/NZS 2293.3 yourself, it’s the most important standard in the trilogy. It’s the bedrock. It’s the guarantee that the hardware you’re installing is fit for purpose.

When you’re buying emergency lighting, your first question shouldn’t be “How much is it?” It should be, “Can you provide the full, NATA-accredited AS/NZS 2293.3:2018 test report for this fitting?”

If the supplier hesitates, walk away. Because you’re not just buying a light; you’re buying legal compliance. And that’s a foundation you can’t afford to get wrong.