Reference
UK fire risk assessment glossary.
Plain-English definitions of the terms that come up in UK housing fire risk assessment work. Use this index to find the page for the term you need.
- Plain English
- Housing focus
- BS 9792-aware
Roles and duty-holders
Who does what under the regulations.
Responsible Person
The legal duty-holder under the Fire Safety Order 2005.
Competent Person
The qualified assessor or reviewer who carries out or signs off the FRA.
Principal Accountable Person
The lead duty-holder on a Higher-Risk Building under the Building Safety Act 2022.
Accountable Person
Any holder of a relevant interest in the common parts of an HRB.
Relevant person
Anyone whose safety the FRA must consider.
Building Safety Regulator
The new regulator inside HSE for HRBs.
FRA scope
The four FRA types.
Type 1 FRA
Common parts only, non-destructive. The most common FRA type for blocks of flats.
Type 2 FRA
Type 1 plus limited destructive inspection.
Type 3 FRA
Common parts plus a sample of flats, non-destructive.
Type 4 FRA
Type 3 plus destructive inspection in a sample.
PCFRA
Post-construction fire risk assessment for newly completed buildings.
Significant finding
A finding that warrants action by the Responsible Person.
Fire detection systems
BS 5839 system categories.
Fire safety strategy
Evacuation strategies and built-in protection.
Stay-put
Residents remain in their flats while the affected unit is dealt with.
Simultaneous evacuation
All residents evacuate on alarm.
Progressive horizontal evacuation
Lateral movement to adjacent fire-safe compartments.
Compartmentation
Fire-resisting construction that contains a fire to its origin compartment.
Means of escape
The route a relevant person uses to leave the building safely.
Fire strategy
The integrated design approach to fire safety in a specific building.
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