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 lists designated exits and paths of travel among a diagram's minimum elements (clause 3.5.5), so a diagram shows the alternative exits as well as the nearest one.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 sets out how to plan for emergencies in occupied buildings, including the content, layout, and placement of evacuation diagrams. It is a voluntary standard: it carries legal force only where a state or territory law picks it up, and the legal duties themselves come from work health and safety and state fire safety law. The 2010 edition is the current published version.
- Assembly Area
- A pre-designated outdoor location where occupants gather after evacuating. Evacuation diagrams show where the assembly area is, 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.
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
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. The legal duty to have one comes from work health and safety law (regulation 43 of the model WHS Regulations; Victoria has its own OHS laws) and state fire safety law; AS 3745, which calls it the emergency plan, sets out how to prepare it. It 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 makes the EPC responsible for the plan; following the standard is good practice, and it becomes a legal requirement only where a law adopts it. 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 lists designated exits among a diagram's minimum elements (clause 3.5.5) and requires them to be shown in green. Many diagrams also set the primary route apart from the alternatives by line style.
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 lists first-attack firefighting equipment, extinguishers included, among a diagram's minimum elements (clause 3.5.5). 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. Hose reels are first-attack firefighting equipment, which AS 3745 lists among a diagram's minimum elements (clause 3.5.5).
- Fire Hydrant
- A connection point for fire-fighting authorities to attach hoses to access mains water. Booster valves and external hydrants are usually shown on the site plan that accompanies the evacuation diagram, and internal landing valves on multi-storey hydrant systems on the floor diagrams. AS 3745 treats hydrants and boosters as optional elements, not mandatory ones.
- 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 sets out the warden roles within the Emergency Control Organisation and the training behind them.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 lists a legend among a diagram's minimum elements (clause 3.5.5(n)). It should be clearly readable and 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 lists manual call points among a diagram's minimum elements (clause 3.5.5); they are 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 covers planning for occupants with a disability, and many evacuation diagrams carry a Mobility Impaired Persons panel with the 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 does not itself require evacuation diagrams; it sets the building elements, such as exits and fire safety systems, that evacuation planning must account for, and AS 3745 works alongside it.
- 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). Many evacuation diagrams print the RACE steps as a quick-reference panel. It is common practice, not one of the minimum elements in AS 3745.
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 lists the location of the facility among a diagram's minimum elements (clause 3.5.5), and many diagrams add a site plan inset so occupants can orient themselves to the assembly area after exiting the building. Where an assembly area diagram is included, it must have the same orientation as the main diagram (clause 3.5.4).
- Smoke Alarm
- A detector that triggers an alarm when smoke is present. Smoke alarms count as additional fire protection equipment, which AS 3745 treats as an optional element on evacuation diagrams (clause 3.5.6). 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. Sprinklers count as an additional fire protection system, which AS 3745 treats as an optional element on evacuation diagrams (clause 3.5.6). 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 3.5.4 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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