ISO 13943:2023

Overview

ISO 13943:2023 - Fire safety - Vocabulary is the fourth edition of the ISO vocabulary for fire safety. Its scope is to define and harmonize terminology relating to fire safety as used in ISO and IEC International Standards. This updated 2023 edition replaces ISO 13943:2017 and includes substantial technical revision (86 terms added or revised) to reflect advances in fire safety engineering, fire testing and performance‑based design across the built environment.

Key topics

The standard provides authoritative definitions across a broad set of fire‑safety concepts, including:

• Fundamental concepts: ignition, combustion, fire plume, buoyant plume, backdraft.
• Fire testing and measurement terms: burning behaviour, burning droplet, afterflame, area/burned area, accuracy.
• Fire protection systems and response: active fire protection, suppression system, agent outlet, activation time, alarm time.
• Human‑centric and safety planning terms: available safe escape time (ASET), behavioural scenario, evacuation uncertainty.
• Environmental and health terms: aerosol, aerosol particle, ash, acute toxicity, asphyxiant.
• Modeling and standards terminology: agent‑based model, fire model, acceptance criteria.

The vocabulary is arranged in English alphabetical order, with preferred terms highlighted, and includes notes on context (e.g., terms that may have different regulatory interpretations).

Practical applications and users

ISO 13943:2023 is a reference tool used to ensure consistent language across documents, tests and designs:

• Fire safety engineers and consultants use it when preparing performance‑based designs, fire models and risk assessments to ensure clear, internationally understood terminology.
• Standards committees and technical authors adopt the vocabulary to harmonize terms across ISO and IEC fire‑related standards.
• Test laboratories and product manufacturers use the definitions when specifying test methods, reporting fire test results, or describing product performance.
• Architects, building code authorities and regulators refer to these terms when drafting regulations, codes or compliance documents to reduce ambiguity.
• Researchers and educators benefit from the consolidated, up‑to‑date set of definitions for publications and teaching.

Related standards

ISO 13943:2023 refers to and aligns with other ISO publications and tools such as:

• ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 & Part 2 (editorial procedures)
• ISO 10241-1 (layout for terminologies)
• ISO 20414:2020, ISO 6182-7:2020, ISO 24678-7:2019, ISO 14934-1:2010 and ISO 6707-1 (contextual references)

ISO 13943 is essential for anyone needing a reliable, standardized fire safety vocabulary to support international consistency in standards, testing, design and regulation.