Glossary
Every facilities management acronym, British Standard, regulation and bit of industry shorthand, explained in plain English. Bookmark this page or jump straight to a term.
Accredited Certification Scheme
The competency scheme for gas engineers in the UK. ACS qualifications cover commercial and domestic gas work and are renewed every five years. An ACS-qualified engineer is what Gas Safe Register registration is built on.
Mechanical systems that cool, dehumidify and circulate air in a building. Most commercial AC uses refrigerants regulated under F-Gas. Inspection of larger systems is mandated by CIBSE TM44.
Automatic Opening Vent
A vent that opens automatically on fire alarm activation, typically in stairwells and corridors, to remove smoke and improve evacuation. Serviced under BS 7346.
A complete record of every plant item, asset and serviceable installation on a property. Includes location, make, model, install date, service history, warranty. The foundation of any PPM programme.
British Approvals for Fire Equipment
The independent registration body for the UK fire protection industry. BAFE schemes cover fire detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting, fire extinguisher servicing and fire risk assessment.
Building Management System
A computerised control system that monitors and manages a building's HVAC, lighting, fire systems and access. BMS optimisation is one of the biggest energy efficiency levers in commercial property.
The British Standard for emergency lighting in commercial premises. Specifies design, installation, monthly testing, annual full-duration testing and certificate requirements.
The British Standard for fire extinguishing installations and equipment. Covers fire extinguisher servicing, sprinklers and watermist systems.
The British Standard for fire detection and fire alarm systems. Defines categories from L1 (full life protection) to L5 (localised), and the servicing regime for each.
The IET Wiring Regulations, currently in its 18th Edition with amendments. The recognised standard for electrical installations in the UK. EICRs are conducted against BS 7671.
The Code of Practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings. The umbrella document referenced by fire risk assessments.
The international standard for generic structured cabling systems. Defines testing, performance categories (Cat 5e, 6, 6a, 7) and installation requirements for data networks.
Computer-Aided Facility Management
Legacy category of FM software built for in-house FM teams in the 1990s. Strong on asset registers and space planning, weaker on multi-stakeholder workflows.
Capital expenditure
Money spent on acquiring or upgrading fixed assets (boilers, lifts, roofs, plant) rather than ongoing operating costs. Capex planning typically uses asset condition data to forecast replacement timelines.
The first stage of a commercial fit out, delivered by the landlord: shell-and-core with raised floors, suspended ceilings, basic lighting, mechanical services. The space is functional but unfurnished.
The second stage of a commercial fit out, delivered by the tenant or operator: partitioning, branded finishes, furniture, AV, kitchens, meeting rooms. Turns Cat A into a working space.
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
The UK professional body for building services. Publishes the technical memoranda (e.g. TM44 for AC inspections) used in commercial property compliance.
In FM, meeting the legal and standards-based obligations attached to a property: fire safety, electrical, gas, Legionella, asset maintenance, and so on. Evidence (certificates, test results) is critical.
Commercial gas safety certificate
The certificate confirming a commercial property's gas appliances, pipework and flues have passed annual safety inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Commercial catering gas safety certificate
The catering-specific gas safety certificate covering commercial kitchens, gas interlocks and ventilation. Required alongside CP12 for properties with catering gas.
The condition of a leased commercial property at end of lease. Lease typically requires the tenant to return it to a defined standard. Dilapidations works cover redecoration, repairs, removal of alterations.
Electrical Installation Condition Report
A periodic inspection and test of the fixed electrical installation in a property. Defects are coded C1 (immediate danger), C2 (potentially dangerous) or C3 (recommended improvement). Required every 5 years for most commercial properties.
Emergency Voice Communication
Two-way communication system in multi-storey buildings allowing people in disabled refuges to communicate with the fire brigade or building management during evacuation. Installed and serviced to BS 5839-9.
Fluorinated greenhouse gases
The class of refrigerants used in most commercial AC, heat pumps and refrigeration. Heavily regulated due to high climate impact. Operators must use F-Gas certified engineers and carry out leak checks at intervals based on system charge size.
Fire Industry Association
The UK trade association for the fire protection industry. FIA membership signals competency for fire alarm and detection contractors.
Facilities Management
The discipline of operating and maintaining buildings, plant and the services within them. Spans reactive call-outs, planned maintenance, compliance, security, cleaning, energy and beyond.
Fire Risk Assessment
A documented assessment of fire risks in a building, with mitigations. A legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for the responsible person of any non-domestic premises.
The official UK registration body for gas engineers, replacing CORGI in 2009. Engineers must hold current ACS qualifications and renew Gas Safe registration annually.
A device that transfers heat from one place to another, whether air-source, ground-source or water-source. Increasingly central to UK heat decarbonisation, often replacing gas boilers in commercial property.
HSE guidance on the control of Legionella bacteria in water systems. Read alongside L8 ACoP. Three parts cover risk assessment, hot and cold water systems, and other risk systems like cooling towers.
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
The collective category of mechanical building services that control temperature, air quality and humidity. Servicing is regulated under F-Gas, TM44 and various BS EN standards.
Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management
The UK professional body for FM (formerly BIFM). Publishes guidance, runs qualifications, maintains a supplier directory.
The Health and Safety Executive's Approved Code of Practice for controlling Legionella bacteria in water systems. Failure to comply is failure to comply with the underlying Health and Safety at Work Act.
A waterborne bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease. Risk assessment, temperature monitoring and system flushing are core duties under L8 ACoP for properties with hot and cold water systems.
Moves, Adds, Changes
Ongoing minor works on a data or AV system: new desk drops, patch changes, screen relocations, rack reorganisation. Usually delivered against an SLA.
Mechanical & Electrical
The combined category of building services covering electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas and life safety. A commercial property's M&E is the bulk of what FM looks after day to day.
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing
The US/international term for what UK FM usually calls M&E. Used interchangeably in larger commercial and design contexts.
One of the UK's competent person schemes for electrical installers. Provides Part P registration and EICR certification. Alternative to NICEIC.
The largest UK registration body for electrical contractors. NICEIC registration is widely used as a proxy for electrical competency and gives access to Building Regulations Part P self-certification.
Optical Time Domain Reflectometer
A specialist test tool for fibre optic cabling. Sends pulses of light down a fibre and analyses the return to identify breaks, splices and signal loss. Used in fibre certification.
Part P of the Building Regulations governs electrical safety in dwellings. Notifiable work must be either carried out by a registered electrician or building-control notified.
Portable Appliance Testing
In-service inspection and testing of portable electrical appliances. Frequency is risk-based, set by the IET Code of Practice, not a legal annual requirement (though widely treated as one).
Planned Preventative Maintenance
Scheduled maintenance carried out before failure: servicing boilers, testing fire alarms, replacing filters, etc. The opposite of reactive maintenance and the foundation of any well-run estate.
Maintenance carried out in response to a fault or breakdown, not on a schedule. Usually more expensive per incident than PPM, but unavoidable for unpredictable failures.
The UK F-Gas company certification scheme run by FETA. Refrigeration, AC and heat pump companies must hold REFCOM (or equivalent) to legally carry out F-Gas work.
Service Level Agreement
The agreed response and resolution targets between a client and FM provider. Typically defined by job priority, with emergency call-outs in hours and lower priority in days.
CIBSE Technical Memorandum 44, the standard for inspection of air conditioning systems with rated output over 12kW. Legally required every 5 years.
Variable Refrigerant Flow
A common type of commercial AC system using a single outdoor unit serving multiple indoor units, with refrigerant flow adjusted to demand. Energy-efficient compared to traditional split systems.
Water Regulations Advisory Scheme
The UK scheme for approving water fittings and materials. WRAS-approved fittings comply with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations.
Got an acronym we missed?
The FM world is awash with three-letter acronyms. If something isn't in the glossary, get in touch and we'll explain it (and add it).