Home
Fire Risk Assessment Glossary
Access room A room through which the only escape route from an inner room passes.
Accommodation stairway A stair, additional to that required for means of escape purposes, provided for the convenience of occupants.
Alterations notice If your premises are considered by the enforcing authority to be high risk, they may issue an alterations notice that requires you to inform them before making any material alterations to your premises.
Alternative escape route Escape routes sufficiently separated by either direction and space,or by fire-resisting construction to ensure that one is still available irrespective of the location of a fire.
Approved Document B (ADB)24 Guidance issued by Government in support of the fire safety aspects of the building regulations.
As low as reasonably practicable Is a concept where risks should continue to be reduced until you reach a point where the cost and effort to reduce the risk further would be grossly disproportionate to the benefit achieved.
Automatic fire-detection system A means of automatically detecting the products of a fire and sending a signal to a fire warning system. See ‘Fire warning’.
Basement A storey with a floor which at some point is more than 1,200mm below the highest level of ground adjacent to the outside walls, unless, and for escape purposes only, such area has adequate,independent and separate means of escape.
Combustible material A substance that can be burned.
Compartment wall and/or floor A fire-resisting wall or floor that separates one fire compartment from another.
Competent person A person with enough training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable them properly to assist in undertaking the preventive and protective measures.
Dangerous substance
1. A substance which because of its physico-chemical or chemical properties and the way it is used or is present at the workplace creates a risk.
2. A substance subject to the Dangerous Substance and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). Dead end Area from which escape is possible in one direction only.
Direct distance The shortest distance from any point within the floor area to the nearest storey exit, or fire-resisting route, ignoring walls, partitions and fixings.
Domestic premises Premises occupied as a private dwelling, excluding those areas used in common by the occupants of more than one such dwelling.
Emergency escape lighting Lighting provided to illuminate escape routes that will function if the normal lighting fails.
Enforcing authority The fire and rescue authority or any other authority specified in Article 25 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.1
Escape route Route forming that part of the means of escape from any point in a building to a final exit.
Evacuation lift A lift that may be used for the evacuation of people with disabilities, or others, in a fire.
External escape stair Stair providing an escape route, external to the building.
Fail-safe Locking an output device with the application of power and having the device unlock when the power is removed. Also known as fail unlock, reverse action or power locked.
Fire compartment A building, or part of a building, constructed to prevent the spread of fire to or from another part of the same building or an adjoining building.
Fire door A door or shutter, together with its frame and furniture, provided for the passage of people, air or goods which, when closed is intended to restrict the passage of fire and/or smoke to a predictable level of performance.
Firefighting lift A lift, designed to have additional protection, with controls that enable it to be used under the direct control of the fire and rescue service when fighting a fire.
Firefighting shaft A fire-resisting enclosure containing a firefighting stair, fire mains, firefighting lobbies and if provided, a firefighting lift.
Fire resistance The ability of a component or construction of a building to satisfy, for a stated period of time, some or all of the appropriate criteria of relevant standards. (Generally described as 30 minutes fireresisting or 60 minutes fire-resisting.) See BS EN 1363-1,45 BS 476-732 and associated standards for further information.
Fire safety manager A nominated person with responsibility for carrying out day-to-day management of fire safety. (This may or may not be the same as
the ‘responsible person’.)
Fire safety strategy A number of planned and co-ordinated arrangements designed to reduce the risk of fire and to ensure the safety of people if there
is a fire.
Fire stopping A seal provided to close an imperfection of fit or design tolerance between elements or components, to restrict the passage of fire and smoke.
Fire-warning system A means of alerting people to the existence of a fire. (See automatic fire detection system.)
Flammable material Easily ignited and capable of burning rapidly.
Highly flammable Generally liquids with a flashpoint of below 21°C. (The Chemicals Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply Regulations 200246 (CHIP) give more detailed guidance.)
House in multiple occupation A building or part of a building (flat) which is occupied by more (HMO) than one household (see Household) and where at least one of the households share or lacks access to basic amenities (cooking, toilet etc.) and occupation by the households is as their main residence and it is the sole residential use of the accommodation. HMOs include bedsits, hostels, accommodation above shops, shared houses and flats, houses partly converted into self-contained flats and buildings fully converted into self contained flats where the conversion work does not comply with the 1991 Building Regulations and where less than 2/3 of the flats are occupied by long leaseholders. See sections 254-259 of the Housing Act 200479 for a full definition.
Licensed premises Any premises that require a licence under any statute to undertake trade or conduct business activities.
Material change An alteration to the premises, process or service which significantly affects the level of risk to people from fire in those premises.
Means of escape Route(s) provided to ensure safe egress from the premises or other locations to a place of total safety.
Phased evacuation A system of evacuation in which different parts of the premises are evacuated in a controlled sequence of phases, those parts of the premises expected to be at greatest risk being evacuated first.
Place of reasonable safety A place within a building or structure where, for a limited period of time, people will have some protection from the effects of fire and smoke. This place, usually a corridor or stairway, will normally have a minimum of 30 minutes fire resistance and allow people to continue their escape to a place of total safety.
Place of total safety A place, away from the building, in which people are at no immediate danger from the effects of a fire.
Protected lobby A fire-resisting enclosure providing access to an escape stairway via two sets of fire doors and into which no room opens other
than toilets and lifts.
Protected stairway A stairway which is adequately protected from the rest of the building by fire-resisting construction.
Protected route An escape route which is adequately protected from the rest of the building by fire-resisting construction.
Refuge A place of reasonable safety in which a disabled person or others who may need assistance may rest or wait for assistance before reaching a place of total safety. It should lead directly to a fire resisting escape route.
Responsible person The person ultimately responsible for fire safety as defined in the
Self-closing device A device that is capable of closing the door from any angle and against any latch fitted to the door.
Significant finding A feature of the premises, from which the fire hazards and persons at risk are identified. The actions you have taken or will take to remove or reduce the chance of a fire occuring or the spread of fire and smoke. The actions people need to take in case of fire. The necessary information, instruction and training needed and how it will be given.
Staged fire alarm A fire warning which can be given in two or more stages for different purposes within a given area (e.g. notifying staff, stand by to evacuate, full evacuation).
Storey exit A final exit or a doorway giving direct access into a protected stairway, firefighting lobby or external escape route.
Travel distance The actual distance to be travelled by a person from any point within the floor area to the nearest storey exit or final exit, having regard to the layout of walls, partitions and fixings.
Vision panel A transparent panel in a wall or door of an inner room enabling the occupant to become aware of a fire in the access area during the early stages.
Way guidance Low mounted luminous tracks positioned on escape routes in combination with exit indicators, exit marking and intermediate direction indicators along the route, provided for use when the supply to the normal lighting fails, which do not rely on an electrical supply for their luminous output. Where necessary The Order requires that fire precautions (such as firefighting equipment, fire detection and warning, and emergency routes and exits) should be provided (and maintained) ‘where necessary’. What this means is that the fire precautions you must provide (and maintain) are those which are needed to reasonably protect relevant persons from risks to them in case of fire. This will be determined by the findings of your risk assessment including the preventative measures you have or will have taken. In practice, it is very unlikely, that a properly conducted fire risk assessment, which takes into account all the matters relevant for the safety of persons in case of fire, will conclude that no fire precautions (including maintenance) are necessary.