Does your holiday home need emergency lighting?
Last Updated on February 20, 2023 by admin
As the nights get longer the weather is often more unpredictable and the risk of powercuts increase. Emergency lighting in its basic form can be cost efficient and will ensure your holiday home guests are not left in the dark.
In the event of a standard power cut, the provision of torches or alternative lighting sources may well prove to be sufficient. But what if the stakes were much higher? What if the cause of the power being cut were due to a fire? Your guests may be left in a situation where they’re in the dark trying to navigate their way out of a property in which they have little understanding of the layout; an impossible and potentially deadly task. Have you considered emergency lighting in your fire risk assessment?
So do holiday homes require emergency lighting, furthermore what are your options?
Can you utilise ‘borrowed lighting’?
Are you familiar with the term, ‘borrowed lighting’? It refers to lighting from nearby areas and sources; this could be from adjacent streetlights or signage, or anything that would keep the interior of your cottage lit to a level that would allow a guest to exit it without problem should there be a fire at night. Sufficient borrowed lighting may in some cases negate your need for emergency lighting within your holiday let, although this is of course a judgement call (remember guests may well have all of the curtains drawn and what about that powercut?).
Providing torches
A holiday cottage in the countryside, away from borrowed lighting will require an alternative emergency light source. This can be as simple as providing rechargeable torches. A number of options are available and if you are going down this route it is recommended that you have one in each of the bedrooms within your property. When it comes to safety measures within a holiday home communication is always key; therefore ensure they’re clearly visible within the room and not just tucked away in a drawer. Regularly check they are working so you’re aware of any faults before they become an issue.
3 in 1 night light, torch and emergency lighting
These handy 3 in 1 emergency lights are fast becoming the preferred option for holiday cottage owners. When placed on landings and in hallways they can provide an economical emergency lighting solution. Holiday homeowners can purchase these online, there are many available on the market. We have linked to a few of the popular models available:
You may recognise this very affordable product from TV’s Dragons Den. It has three useful features; a rechargeable torch, automatic night light & emergency power cut light. The powerful LED’s come on automatically is the power fails and will safeguard your guests with 4 hours of light. It has also an A++ Energy Efficiency rating therefore appealing to your eco-conscious guests.
This option has an LED bulb of up to 60 lumens which is super bright, just what you need in case of emergency. Incidently it still uses around 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Additionally it also has a built in nightlight and motion sensor.
Slightly more expensive per unit and can last up to 6 hours. It has a plug-in magnetic cradle, inductive charging, 18 LEDs, and a built-in 500mAH rechargeable battery. Plus, the detachable torch function gives you two hours of full-beam usage to go anywhere in the home with ease.
Do you have a larger holiday home?
Owners of larger holiday homes may want to consider a dedicated emergency lighting system. The good news is that these are not as expensive as they used to be – just be sure to do your research, purchase your system from a reputable supplier and always have it installed by a professional electrician.
Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For information on how specialist insurance can help protect your holiday home business, call us on 01237 429444
Please note this article only gives an overview of Emergency Lighting options for Holiday Let owners hence we suggest you take advice from a qualified fire safety professional before making any decisions in this area if you do not feel you are competent to make these decisions yourself.
Is emergency lighting in furnished holiday lets a mandatory requirement. I appreciate that emergency lighting has its benefits, however, I do seek guidance on what is mandatory.
Whilst emergency lighting in furnished holiday letting accommodation is not mandatory carrying out a fire risk assessment is. Depending on the outcome of your fire risk assesment you may decide that emergency lighting would improve guest safety in the event of a fire. All owners have a `duty of care’ towards their guests and sometimes appropriate safety measures as highighted in a risk assessment will go beyond what is stated in rules, regulations and the law. Hope this helps.