Understanding Fire Safety

Key terms to help you meet your compliance obligations and keep people safe.

The following definitions are here to assist you in understanding terms used in building and fire safety.

Accountable Person
Part of the Building Safety Act 2022, it is the person - building owner, freeholder, or management company - who has an ongoing duty to assess building safety risks and provide a ‘Safety Case Report’.

Active Fire Protection
Active Fire Protection (AFP) are measures that suppress or put out a fire, for example, extinguishers and sprinklers. It also alerts people to the presence of fire or smoke, for example via audible fire alarms.

BAFE
British Association of Fire Experts

Building Safety Act 2022
An Act designed to overhaul regulations, altering how buildings should be designed, constructed, controlled, and maintained to ensure they are safe to use. The Building Safety Act 2022 has been approved by parliament and has received Royal Assent in April 2022, so is now law. However the various requirements will come into effect over the next 12-18 months. It is anticipated that the main duties and obligations for occupied buildings will take effect during 2023.

Building Safety Case
A document which demonstrates to the Regulator of Building Safety that your building is safe. It is the primary way the Building Safety Regulator will hold the Accountable Person to account for identifying risks and hazards.

Building Safety Regulator (BSR)
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, manages the safety and performance systems of all buildings and acts as the main contact for residents in high rise residential properties.

CHAS
The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme

Compartmentation Surveys
Detailed compartmentation surveys are assessments of how well a building can resist the effects of fire, stop the spread of fire, smoke and heat as well as protecting vital escape routes and high-value and high-riskareas. They can be one of the most effective methods of identifying whether there are breaches in fire resisting compartments and what action may be required to keep a building and its occupants safe.
See here for more details.

Fire Door Audits and Inspection
Fire doors are specially engineered devices that restrict the spread of fire and smoke for a minimum period of time, help keep escape routes safe whilst protecting other areas of the building. As doors are one of the most heavily used elements of a building, it is critical to undertake regular inspections of fire doors to ensure they are functioning as designed. Even the smallest error, damage or change to an engineered door can affect its ability to resist a fire for the required period. An inspection will determine if the fire doors are installed correctly, fit for purpose and in a suitable condition.

Fire Risk Assessment
A legal requirement for housing providers and building owners to carry out and regularly review the measures needed to prevent fire and keep tenants safe. 

Fire Safety Act 2021
Introduced and passed through the parliamentary process in April 2021 to ensure that people feel safe in their homes. Revises the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) and clarifies responsibility for managing and reducing fire risk in multi-occupied residential buildings.

Fire Strategy Drawings
A comprehensive plan to illustrate existing and proposed fire safety provisions across a building. Can include elements such as compartmentation lines, fire doors, fire exit routes.

Fire Strategy Reviews
A document tailored to a building which reviews all aspects of the building’s fire safety features. The document can highlight gaps, areas for improvement, and recommendations for improving fire safety features across a building.

FPA
Fire Protection Association

Golden Thread of Information
As a result of the Hackitt Report, following the Grenfell disaster in 2017, an independent study of Building Regulations and Fire Safety was set up. From this, the Golden Thread of Information was developed to illustrate how building safety risks are understood and how they are being managed. It is a digital record of everything associated with a building, all asset and project information, from basic surveys, stock condition through to building safety cases, housed in one place. 

IFE
Institute of Fire Engineers

Intumescent and Fire Rated Hardware
Intumescent strips can be fitted to the edge of fire doors, which swell above a specific temperature, closing any gaps between the door and the frame and helping to restrict the spread of smoke and fire. 

Measured Surveys
Surveys which involve taking measurements of sites or buildings to produce accurate drawings to scale.

Passive Fire Protection
Passive fire protection is “built in” to the fabric of a building to provide fire resistance and insulate against the effects of fire, whilst containing a fire within the compartment of origin. Passive fire protection systems do not require activation in order to work. During a fire situation, passive fire protection will help protect lives and limit the damage to buildings by restricting the spread of fire and smoke, protecting escape routes, and maintaining the integrity of the building’s structure.

Pre-Occupation Surveys
An assessment to identify fire precautions in either newly constructed buildings or refurbished buildings, allowing for the appropriate fire strategy and deciding if the premises are fit for occupation.

Responsible person
In the Fire Safety Act, the onus to ensure updated guidance is followed is firmly placed on the ‘Responsible Person’. May include building owners, leaseholders, or managers.

Download our  Fire Safety Act explained eBook, which provides comprehensive information required to manage your Fire Safety obligations.

At Pennington Choices, we offer efficient, experienced and technically competent compliance solutions and provide a range of bespoke, cost-effective fire safety solution. Get in touch today to speak to one our experts.