Picture a guest trying to find their way downstairs in pitch darkness during a night-time power cut. That is the scenario emergency escape lighting is designed for, and the good news for Kent owners is that in many small lets, a simple and inexpensive solution is acceptable.
When emergency escape lighting is required
The Home Office guidance says normal light switches should be easy to find, and asks you to think about whether borrowed lighting, such as a nearby street lamp, would be enough to let guests find their way out if the power failed. The All-Wales guidance agrees that there is typically no requirement for fixed emergency lighting in small units, where conventional lighting is normally considered sufficient.
So in many cases you do not need fixed, wired emergency lighting at all. Your fire risk assessment determines what is actually needed for your particular property and layout.
Where torches come in
For the smallest premises, the guidance accepts rechargeable torches that illuminate automatically if the power fails. The recommendation is one in each bedroom, with a sign explaining what it is for. This is a cheap, practical solution that suits a typical cottage or flat, especially in a remote location with no street lighting to borrow.
Plug-in night lights
The Home Office guidance also mentions night lights that stay plugged into sockets and light up when the normal lighting fails. Fitted along the stairs and hallway, these illuminate the escape route and can often be removed and used as a torch. The socket still works normally for other appliances, so you lose nothing by fitting them.
When fixed lighting is needed
If borrowed lighting is inadequate and torches are not enough, you can fit emergency escape lights with internal batteries at reasonably low cost. The guidance says these should be provided in hallways, staircases and other escape routes that guests would have to navigate in the dark, where needed for their safety. Fixed emergency lighting must then be tested monthly and serviced annually to make sure it works when it matters.
Remote and rural properties
The All-Wales guidance highlights that torches are particularly relevant for remote cottages without street lighting, where a power cut means total darkness. Whatever you provide, check it at each changeover and replace batteries promptly.
Get advice if unsure
Kent Fire and Rescue Service can advise, and a competent assessor will confirm exactly what your property needs to keep the escape route usable in the dark.
Torches or fitted emergency lighting?
Whether plug-in torches are enough, or you need fitted emergency lighting, comes down to your property and your assessment. In a small, simple let with good borrowed light from the street, the guidance accepts that plug-in torches on the escape route and in bedrooms can be a reasonable measure. In a larger property, a building with internal rooms, or anywhere the escape route would be pitch dark in a power cut, fitted emergency lighting that comes on automatically is the safer answer. The point either way, set out in the Home Office guidance, is that guests must be able to see their way out if the mains lighting fails. If you rely on torches, check they work and are charged at every changeover, and tell guests where to find them. Kent Fire and Rescue Service can advise on which applies to your layout.
Borrowed light from a streetlamp can vanish in a power cut that affects the whole street, so do not assume it will be there when guests need to find the way out in the dark.
Get the right advice for your property
Not sure if torches are enough for your property? For advice tailored to your property from a competent professional, speak to Jamie at ESI: Fire Safety on 01276 300 351.
