Reference

AS 3745 glossary

Plain-English definitions of evacuation diagram and AS 3745 emergency planning terminology. Use this when reading inspection reports, fitting out a new building, or briefing a team on emergency procedures.

A

Alternative Exit: The secondary egress route from a position in a building, used when the primary exit is blocked or unavailable. AS 3745 requires evacuation diagrams to show both primary and alternative exit paths from each You Are Here location.See also: Diagram requirements guide
Annual Fire Safety StatementAFSS: A NSW-specific certification document that owners of buildings with essential fire safety measures must lodge each year, confirming each measure (including evacuation procedures) has been assessed by a competent fire safety practitioner. The statement covers the items in the Fire Safety Schedule attached to the building.See also: NSW requirements, AFSS guide
AS 3745AS 3745:2010: The Australian Standard titled "Planning for Emergencies in Facilities." It specifies requirements for emergency planning in occupied buildings, including the content, layout, and placement of evacuation diagrams. The 2010 edition is the current published version.
Assembly Area: A pre-designated outdoor location where occupants gather after evacuating. AS 3745 requires evacuation diagrams to show the assembly area, and best practice is for it to be a safe distance from the building, clear of fire-fighting access, and reachable along the evacuation routes shown on the diagram.
Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities CouncilAFAC: The peak national body for the Australian and New Zealand fire, emergency service, and land management sectors. AFAC publishes guidelines, position papers, and shared doctrine that influence how state fire authorities interpret AS 3745 and related standards. State agencies are AFAC members.

B

Building Code of AustraliaBCA: The historical name for what is now Volumes One and Two of the National Construction Code. The BCA name was retired when the NCC was introduced, but the term is still used informally and in older documentation. The current legal reference for new construction and major refurbishment is the NCC.

C

Chief Warden: The most senior member of the Emergency Control Organisation during an emergency. The Chief Warden takes overall responsibility for the response, gives directions to area wardens, liaises with emergency services, and decides when to evacuate. Identification is by a white helmet.See also: Warden responsibilities
Class 9a Building: A National Construction Code classification for health-care buildings: hospitals, nursing homes, day surgeries, and similar facilities where occupants may be unable to evacuate without assistance. Class 9a buildings have stricter fire compartmentation, sprinkler, and alarm requirements than most other classes, and their evacuation diagrams typically reflect staged or horizontal evacuation strategies.See also: Healthcare diagrams
Country Fire AuthorityCFA: The volunteer-based fire and emergency service responsible for fire prevention and suppression in regional and rural Victoria. CFA works alongside Fire Rescue Victoria, which covers metropolitan and major regional centres. Building owners in CFA-serviced areas may receive inspections and notices from CFA brigades.

D

Deputy Chief Warden: The second-in-command of the Emergency Control Organisation, who deputises for the Chief Warden when absent and supports them during emergencies. Identification is typically by a yellow helmet.
Direction Notice: A formal notice from a fire authority or building certifier directing the building owner to take specific action to comply with fire safety obligations. Direction notices typically have a deadline and specify the consequences of non-compliance, including escalation to improvement or prohibition action.

E

Emergency Control OrganisationECO: The structured group of trained personnel responsible for executing the emergency response plan in a facility. Includes the Chief Warden, Deputy Chief Warden, Communications Officer, Wardens, and any additional roles defined by the facility size and type. AS 3745 sets out the minimum ECO structure.
Emergency Management PlanEMP: The written plan that documents how a facility prepares for, responds to, and recovers from emergencies. AS 3745 requires every applicable facility to have an EMP, which includes the evacuation procedures and references the evacuation diagrams.
Emergency Planning CommitteeEPC: The committee responsible for developing, implementing, reviewing, and maintaining a facility's Emergency Management Plan. AS 3745 requires every applicable facility to establish an EPC. The committee meets regularly, typically annually, and after any incident or significant change.See also: How to set up an EPC
Essential Safety MeasuresESM: A Victoria-specific list of fire safety items in a building that must be maintained to a defined standard, including evacuation diagrams, exit signage, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and emergency lighting. Building owners must lodge an Annual Essential Safety Measures Report.See also: Victoria requirements
Evacuation Diagram: A pictorial representation of a floor or area within a building showing You Are Here position, exit routes, fire-fighting equipment locations, manual call points, the assembly area, and other emergency information. AS 3745 specifies both mandatory and optional elements.See also: How to read a diagram
Exit: A doorway, opening, or access point that leads from inside a building to a safe place. AS 3745 requires evacuation diagrams to clearly mark all exits, distinguishing primary from alternative routes via line style or colour.

F

Fire and Rescue NSWFRNSW: The state fire authority for New South Wales, responsible for fire suppression, emergency response, and fire safety compliance audits in metropolitan and regional NSW. FRNSW conducts inspections of essential fire safety measures and may issue fire safety orders requiring upgrades or remediation.See also: NSW requirements
Fire Extinguisher: A portable manual fire-fighting device. AS 3745 requires evacuation diagrams to show the location of every accessible fire extinguisher. Different fire classes (A, B, C, D, E, F) require specific extinguisher types; the diagram does not need to specify the type but the location must be accurate.
Fire Hose Reel: A reeled flexible hose connected to a continuous water supply, used by occupants to fight Class A fires before evacuation. AS 3745 requires evacuation diagrams to show the location of every fire hose reel.
Fire Hydrant: A connection point for fire-fighting authorities to attach hoses to access mains water. Booster valves and external hydrants must be shown on site plans accompanying the evacuation diagram. Internal landing valves on multi-storey hydrant systems are typically shown on the floor diagrams.
Fire Warden: A trained occupant who assists with evacuation in their assigned area. Wardens guide occupants to exits, check that areas are clear, and report status to the Chief Warden. AS 3745 requires every applicable facility to have appointed and trained wardens.See also: Warden training requirements

H

Heritage-Listed Building: A building protected by state or local heritage legislation that restricts modifications. Evacuation diagrams in heritage buildings must work within the existing layout and approved modifications, since adding new exits, signage, or fire equipment is constrained.See also: Heritage building diagrams

I

Improvement Notice: A formal notice issued by a workplace health and safety regulator or fire authority directing a person conducting a business or undertaking to remedy a contravention by a specified date. Improvement notices commonly cite missing or non-compliant evacuation diagrams, untrained wardens, or inadequate emergency procedures.

L

Legend: The key on an evacuation diagram explaining the symbols used. AS 3745 requires the legend to be on the same diagram, clearly readable, and to define every symbol that appears (exit paths, fire equipment, assembly area, etc.).

M

Manual Call PointMCP: A break-glass alarm activator that allows occupants to manually trigger the building's fire alarm. AS 3745 requires evacuation diagrams to show every manual call point, sometimes labelled "MCP" or "Break Glass" in the legend.
Mobility Impaired PersonsMIP: Occupants who require assistance during evacuation due to physical, sensory, cognitive, or temporary impairment. AS 3745 requires evacuation diagrams to include a Mobility Impaired Persons panel with specific procedures for these occupants. NDIS SDA accommodation diagrams give this panel particular prominence.See also: NDIS SDA evacuation diagrams

N

National Construction CodeNCC: The Australian building code that sets minimum requirements for building design and construction, including fire safety systems. The NCC references AS 3745 indirectly via state regulations, and works alongside it to establish the building elements that evacuation planning must account for.
National Quality StandardNQS: The framework that early childhood education and care services must meet under the National Quality Framework. NQS Quality Area 7 (Governance and Leadership) requires documented emergency procedures, with evacuation diagrams as a core artefact for childcare centres.See also: Childcare centre diagrams

P

Path of Travel: The route a person takes from their current position to an exit. Evacuation diagrams show paths of travel as solid lines for primary routes and dashed or distinct lines for alternative routes, originating from the You Are Here marker and terminating at exit doors.
Personal Emergency Evacuation PlanPEEP: A documented plan tailored to an individual occupant who needs assistance evacuating, due to mobility, sensory, or other support needs. PEEPs are personal supplements to the building's general evacuation procedures and are referenced from the Mobility Impaired Persons panel where applicable.See also: Accessibility and evacuation planning
Primary Exit: The main intended evacuation route from a position in a building. Evacuation diagrams typically show the primary exit as a solid coloured line from the You Are Here marker to the exit door. Each You Are Here location may have a different primary exit depending on its position.
Prohibition Notice: A formal notice that prohibits an activity, the use of a workplace, or the use of equipment until a serious risk is eliminated or controlled. Prohibition notices are issued where the regulator considers ongoing operation an immediate danger to people, and they take effect immediately rather than at a future date.

R

RACE: The mnemonic for the response sequence in a fire emergency: Rescue (anyone in immediate danger), Alert (raise the alarm and notify the ECO), Confine (close doors to slow fire and smoke spread), Evacuate (leave via the nearest safe route). AS 3745 requires evacuation diagrams to display the RACE procedure.

S

Site Plan: A diagram showing the overall site layout including building footprint, surrounding streets, gates, vehicle access, hydrants, and the assembly area. AS 3745 requires a site plan as part of, or alongside, the evacuation diagram so that occupants can orient themselves to the assembly area after exiting the building.
Smoke Alarm: A detector that triggers an alarm when smoke is present. AS 3745 lists smoke alarms as an optional but recommended element on evacuation diagrams. Many evacpath diagrams mark smoke alarm locations with a red filled circle.
Specialist Disability AccommodationSDA: NDIS-funded housing for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA buildings have specific design standards (High Physical Support, Robust, Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible) and require evacuation diagrams that account for resident mobility, support staff response, and accessible exit routes.See also: NDIS SDA diagrams
Sprinkler Head: An automatic water-discharge nozzle in a fire sprinkler system. AS 3745 lists sprinklers as an optional element on evacuation diagrams. Where shown, sprinkler heads are typically marked with a distinct symbol (a blue filled circle in EvacPath diagrams).

W

Work Health and SafetyWHS: The legal framework governing workplace safety in most Australian jurisdictions, replacing the older Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) terminology. WHS legislation requires PCBUs (Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking) to provide and maintain a safe workplace, including emergency planning and evacuation procedures.

Y

You Are HereYAH: The marker on an evacuation diagram showing the location at which the diagram is mounted. AS 3745 clause 3.6 requires the diagram to be oriented so that the direction the viewer is facing while reading is to the top of the page. Each unique mounting location requires its own diagram.See also: Heads-up orientation

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