Fire Assembly Points and Emergency Exits: What Kenyan Workplaces Are Required to Have

A fire assembly point and a wide-enough emergency exit sound like basic common sense — and they are — but Kenyan law also makes both of them specific, named requirements, not just good judgement left up to each employer.

In short: Rule 24(1) of the Factories and Other Places of Work (Fire Risk Reduction) Rules, 2007 requires every occupier to identify a location where every worker assembles in the event of a fire. Separately, Rule 17(1) requires every work room to be fitted with an emergency exit at least 90cm wide. Both are checked as part of the same regulation that covers firefighting equipment.

What actually satisfies Rule 24(1)

The rule requires the occupier to identify a location — it doesn’t specify signage, distance from the building, or a minimum size, which leaves room for judgement but also room for a workplace to under-deliver on the spirit of the rule. A defensible assembly point is far enough from the building to be safe if the fire spreads or something falls, clearly marked so it’s found under stress rather than debated, and known to every worker in advance — not posted somewhere and never actually communicated.

Why “identified” has to mean “known,” not just “designated”

A location can technically be identified on a fire safety plan and still fail in practice if workers don’t know where it is. This is where the training requirement elsewhere in the same regulations connects directly to Rule 24(1) — Rule 21(1) requires workers to be instructed in fire safety, and knowing the assembly point is a basic part of that instruction, not a separate exercise.

The 90cm exit width rule

Rule 17(1) sets a specific, measurable standard: every work room needs an emergency exit at least 90cm wide. This is a minimum, not a target — a narrower doorway doesn’t become compliant because it’s rarely used, and a work room with only one exit that falls short of 90cm is a real compliance gap, not a minor detail. It’s worth an actual tape-measure check rather than a visual estimate, since door frames and hardware can eat into the usable width.

Why these two rules sit together

An assembly point is where people end up; an emergency exit is how they get there. A workplace can have a perfectly good assembly point and still fail people if the exit route to reach it is too narrow, blocked, or unclear — which is why both are checked together as part of the same fire safety audit (Rule 36) rather than treated as separate items.

A simple check for both

Walk your own exit routes as if evacuating, and measure the narrowest point of each emergency exit with an actual tape measure rather than eyeballing it. Then confirm — by asking, not assuming — that workers on different shifts actually know where the assembly point is, not just that it’s marked on a plan somewhere.

Frequently asked questions

Does Kenyan law require a specific fire assembly point?

Yes — Rule 24(1) of the Fire Risk Reduction Rules, 2007 requires every occupier to identify a location where every worker assembles in the event of a fire.

What is the minimum width for an emergency exit in Kenya?

90cm, under Rule 17(1) of the Fire Risk Reduction Rules, 2007 — this applies to every work room.

Is a fire assembly point sign enough to satisfy the regulation?

Signage helps, but the underlying requirement is that the location is genuinely known to workers, which connects to the fire safety instruction required under Rule 21(1) — not just that a sign exists.

Are the assembly point and emergency exit requirements checked in the fire safety audit?

Yes — both fall within the scope of the annual fire safety audit required under Rule 36(1), alongside firefighting equipment and training records.

This completes our Fire Safety & Hydrants series. See our guides to fire hydrant landing valves, matching hose and nozzle to your hydrant system, the 30-metre hose reel rule, the annual fire safety audit and the 12-month equipment inspection rule.

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