Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008: Glossary of Definitions: BFSR

The Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 (BFSR) provides the objectives and operation framework for the safe occupation of buildings in Queensland. The following lists the definitions contained in Schedule 3 Dictionary of the BFSR.

Terms: Abbreviations	Glossary Definition
accommodation unit	see section 47.
applicant	for stated building work, means a person who has applied for building development approval for the stated building work.
appropriately qualified person	for carrying out maintenance of a prescribed fire safety installation of a particular type, means a person who holds a licence that is of a class- (a) stated in the Queensland Building Services Authority Regulation 2003, schedule 2A; and (b) for which the scope of work includes maintenance of prescribed fire safety installations of that type. Note- See also section 85.
approved building fire safety course	means a course that the chief executive is satisfied gives adequate instructions about safety and other procedures relating to fires and hazardous materials emergencies in or affecting buildings, including, for example, instructions about the following- (a) developing and keeping fire and evacuation plans; (b) evacuation coordination procedures; (c) the method of operation of fire fighting equipment and manually operated fire alarms.
base fee	for stated building work, means the base fee for the stated building work stated in schedule 2, part 1.
building	see section 104A of the Fire Service Act.
Building Act	means the Building Act 1975.
building fire safety qualification	means a qualification issued by a registered training organisation to a person- (a) who has successfully completed an approved building fire safety course; and (b) whom the organisation is satisfied has attained the skills and knowledge required for the issue of the qualification.
carry out	in relation to maintenance for a prescribed fire safety installation, means- (a) carry out the maintenance personally; or (b) cause the maintenance to be carried out.
common area	see section 6.
critical defect	see section 49
critical defect notice	see section 53(2).
designated assembly area	for a building or a part of a building, means a place of safety outside the building where persons evacuating the building or the part are expected to assemble under the building's fire and evacuation plan.
door	includes a gate.
evacuation coordination instructions	for a building, means instructions about carrying out the evacuation coordination procedures for the building.
evacuation coordination procedures	see section 17.
evacuation coordinator	for a building, see section 21(3)(h).
evacuation diagram	(a) for a building-see section 18(1); or (b) for a part of a building-see section 18(3).
evacuation practice record	see section 46(1).
evacuation route	see section 5.
evacuation sign	see section 29.
final exit	of a building, means an exit- (a) directly connecting a common area in the building and a place of safety outside the building; and (b) to which any of the following applies- (i) the exit is shown on an evacuation diagram for the building or a part of the building; (ii) the exit was required, and has continued to be required, to be kept as an exit under a building development approval for the building; (iii) the exit is indicated as an exit by a sign at, or adjacent to, the exit. Examples of types of final exit- a doorway, gateway, stairway or ramp
final exit door	means a door at a final exit of a building.
fire and evacuation instruction record	see section 45(1).
fire and evacuation instructions	for a building, means general evacuation instructions, first-response evacuation instructions or evacuation coordination instructions for the building.
fire engineering brief	means a brief prepared with reference to the fire safety engineering guidelines.
fire engineering brief meeting	in relation to stated building work, means a meeting about a fire engineering brief for the stated building work.
fire safety adviser	for a high occupancy building, means a person who is appointed by the occupier of the building under section 34.
fire safety engineering guidelines	means the document, 'International Fire Engineering Guidelines, Edition 2005', published by the Australian Building Codes Board. Editor's note- On the day this regulation was notified in the gazette, a copy of the document was available for purchase from the Australian Building Codes Board, P.O. Box 279, Fyshwick ACT.
fire safety management plan	for a building used for conducting a residential service, other than a budget accommodation building, see the Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002, schedule 2.
fire safety reference points	a building, see section 18(1) and (3).
fire safety system	see schedule 6 of the Fire Service Act.
Fire Service Act	means the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990.
first-response evacuation instructions	for a building, means instructions about the method of operation of manually operated fire alarms and fire fighting equipment in the building, including at least 1 of the following- (a) training in the use of the fire alarms and fire fighting equipment; (b) a demonstration of the use of manually operated fire alarms and fire fighting equipment that are identical, or at least similar to, the fire alarms and fire fighting equipment in the building. Example of a demonstration for paragraph (b)- showing a video about the use of manually operated fire alarms and fire fighting equipment
general access area	of a multi-occupancy building, means a common area of the building directly connecting a place of safety outside the building and a part of the building that is occupied by a secondary occupier.
general evacuation instructions	for a building, means instructions about- (a) the location of the fire safety reference points for the building; and (b) the procedures for evacuating the building safely in the event of a fire or hazardous materials emergency.
high occupancy building	means any of the following buildings, other than a building to which section 32 applies- (a) a class 2 or 3 building more than 25m high; (b) a class 2, 3, 5, 6, 7b, 8, 9a, or 9b building that is a workplace- (i) prescribed under the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008, section 56; and (ii) where 30 or more workers are normally employed within the meaning of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, section 93(5); Editor's note- Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, section 93 (Appointment of workplace health and safety officer by employer) (c) a class 6 or 9b building that the commissioner has decided is an at risk licensed building under section 104KD of the Fire Service Act.
intercommunication device	means a device that may, in the event of a fire or hazardous materials emergency in a building, be used by persons inside and outside the building to communicate with each other. Examples of intercommunication devices- intercommunication systems or telephones
interim inspection	for a required special fire service for stated building work, means an inspection of the special fire service carried out before the applicant for the stated building work informs the chief executive that the stated building work has been completed.
internal side	in relation to a door on an evacuation route of a building, means the side of the door that, if the door were closed, would be approached by a person going along the evacuation route towards a place of safety outside the building.
locking	in relation to a door on an evacuation route, see section 10.
low occupancy building	means a building other than the following- (a) a building to which section 32 applies; (b) a high occupancy building.
maintenance	for a prescribed fire safety installation, means inspection and testing, or repair, of the installation necessary to ensure that it continues to operate at its original performance level and in accordance with any relevant Australian Standards.
managing entity	of a multi-occupancy building, means the entity that is the occupier of, or in control of, the general access areas of the building. Examples of entities that may be managing entities of buildings- • the body corporate of a community titles scheme identifying scheme land on which a building is situated • the owner of a building
manually operated fire alarm	means an alarm or other equipment that is activated by a person to warn of a fire or hazardous materials emergency. Examples of manually operated fire alarms- • a manual call point • an alarm that is activated by breaking the glass casing of the alarm
multi-occupancy building	means a building in which- (a) an entity is the occupier of a part of the building; and (b) at least 1 other entity is the occupier of at least 1 other part of the building.
obstruct	in relation to an evacuation route, includes hindering a person's use of the evacuation route.
occupancy safety factors	see section 14.
occupier statement	see section 55A(1).
person with special needs	see section 19.
place of safety	outside a building, means- (a) a public road outside the building; or (b) a place outside the building that- (i) is open to the sky; and (ii) is directly connected with a public road; and (iii) in the event of a fire or hazardous materials emergency threatening the building, is reasonably likely to be safe from the effects of the fire or emergency. Example for paragraph (b)- a private alleyway adjacent to an external wall of a building that is constructed to be resistant to fire
placing	a thing includes- (a) installing a thing; and (b) for a person who has caused a thing to be in a place-allowing it to remain there.
prescribed document	for a building, means any of the following for the building- (a) a record of a review of a fire and evacuation plan; (b) a fire and evacuation instruction record; (c) an evacuation practice record; (d) a record of maintenance.
prescribed fire safety installation	see 104A of the Fire Service Act.
public road	means a road ordinarily used by the public.
record of maintenance	means a record of maintenance under section 55(1).
registered training organisation	see the Vocational Education, Training and Employment Act 2000, schedule 3.
required special fire service	for stated building work, means a special fire service that is required to be installed as part of the stated building work by the assessment manager for the building development application to which the stated building work relates.
residential service	see the Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002, section 4.
secondary occupier	of a part of a multi-occupancy building, means the occupier of a part of the building other than the managing entity of the building.
special fire service fee	see section 56.
stated building work	means building work for which special fire services are required.
tenant	see the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008, section 13.
thing	includes a vehicle, an animal, fixtures or fittings, goods or materials, but does not include a structure or other thing if installation of the structure or other thing required building work to be carried out.
working	includes working on a voluntary basis.