Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Approved Document B
- The official guidance accompanying the Building Regulations that sets out how a building should be designed and built to limit the spread of fire and allow safe escape.
- Autoclave
- A machine that uses pressurised steam to sterilise reusable instruments so they are safe to use again.
- BS 5266
- The British Standard for emergency escape lighting that keeps escape routes and exits visible if the normal power fails.
- BS 5306-3
- The British Standard covering the routine inspection and servicing of portable fire extinguishers.
- BS 5839-1
- The British Standard for the design, installation and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in buildings.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Competent Person
- Someone with enough training, experience and knowledge to carry out a particular safety task properly, such as a fire risk assessor.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work.
- Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR)
- The law requiring employers to control the risks from substances that can catch fire or explode, such as flammable liquids and gases.
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
- A formal inspection report on the safety of a building's fixed electrical wiring and installations.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- A test that records the electrical activity of the heart, performed using a dedicated machine.
- Equality Act 2010
- The law protecting people from discrimination based on characteristics such as age, disability, sex or race.
- Evacuation lift
- A specially designed and protected lift that may be used to evacuate people during a fire, unlike an ordinary lift.
- Final exit
- The last door on an escape route that leads people directly to a place of safety outside the building.
- Fire and rescue service
- The statutory emergency service that responds to fires and other emergencies, contacted by dialling 999.
- Fire blanket
- A sheet of fire-resistant material used to smother small fires or wrap around a person whose clothing is alight.
- Fire door
- A self-closing door designed to hold back fire and smoke and protect escape routes.
- Fire Marshal (Warden)
- A trained member of staff who helps people evacuate, checks designated areas are clear and reports to the person coordinating the incident.
- Fire risk assessment (FRA)
- A written check of the fire hazards in a building, who is at risk and whether the existing fire precautions are good enough.
- Fire Safety Act 2021
- A law that clarified and strengthened the duties of the person responsible for fire safety in certain buildings.
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
- Regulations that introduced extra fire-safety duties, including recording and sharing key fire-safety information.
- Fire watch
- A temporary arrangement where people patrol a building to spot fire when the normal alarm or escape provision is out of action.
- Generic Emergency Evacuation Plan (GEEP)
- A standard plan setting out how staff will help patients and visitors who may need assistance to evacuate.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main law setting out employers' general duties to protect the health and safety of staff and others.
- Hot work
- Any task that produces heat, sparks or flame, such as welding or cutting, which can start a fire if not controlled.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Regulations requiring employers to assess and manage risks to the health and safety of staff and others.
- Manual call point
- A wall-mounted device, often a 'break glass' unit, that a person presses or breaks to raise the fire alarm by hand.
- Means of escape
- The routes and exits people use to leave a building safely in the event of a fire.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Nebuliser
- A device that turns liquid medicine into a fine mist for a patient to breathe in.
- PAS 79
- A recognised published methodology that sets out a structured way to carry out and record a fire risk assessment.
- Permit-to-work
- A formal written authorisation that controls higher-risk tasks, such as hot work, by setting out the precautions required before work starts.
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP)
- A tailored plan for an individual who cannot evacuate a building unaided, setting out the help they will receive.
- Portable appliance testing (PAT)
- The routine inspection and testing of electrical equipment that plugs in, to check it is safe to use.
- Primary care network
- A group of neighbouring GP practices that work together to share staff and services for their local population.
- Records Management Code of Practice
- National guidance on how long health and care records should be kept and how they should be managed and disposed of.
- Refuge
- A protected area where a person who cannot easily use the stairs can wait safely for assistance during an evacuation.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- The main fire-safety law for most workplaces in England and Wales, which places duties on the Responsible Person.
- Responsible Person
- The person the fire-safety law makes legally accountable for fire safety in a building, usually the employer, owner or occupier.
- Roll-call
- A head-count taken at the assembly point to confirm everyone has safely left the building.
- Single assessment framework
- The structure the regulator uses to judge a service, built around quality statements and five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led).
- Single-stage simultaneous evacuation
- An evacuation strategy where everyone in the building leaves at the same time as soon as the alarm sounds.
- Smoke-free policy
- A policy that prohibits smoking and vaping throughout the premises and grounds.