Fire Stopping & Passive Fire Protection
WHAT IS FIRE STOPPING AND Passive FIRE PROTECTION?
Fire stopping, also known as fire compartmentation, is an integral part of passive fire protection. It refers to the process of sealing any openings between rooms or compartments in a building with fire-stopping materials such as fire board and fire curtains, to ensure that the building is fully compartmentalised in the event of a fire. Fire stopping separates a building into areas of manageable risk which helps to prevent the spread of heat, smoke and fire. It is vital in giving occupants of a building time to safely evacuate by containing the fire as much as possible in the area it has broken out.
WHY IS FIRE STOPPING & PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION IMPORTANT?
Fire stopping is a mandatory fire safety measure that has to be put in place in any building with multiple occupants, like schools, hospitals, office spaces apartment blocks and shopping centres. Fire stopping and passive fire protection is essential as it helps prevent the spread of fire through the different compartments of the building. Without correctly installed fire stopping measures, heat, smoke and fire can quickly travel through a building, damaging the property and putting lives in danger.
What we Do?
At Prestige, we specialise in the supply and installation of passive fire protection systems to new and existing buildings in accordance with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and offer third party accreditation as specified in Approved Document B of building regulations. We also hold internationally recognised IFC Certification as an installer of passive fire protection systems.
Passive fire protection is vital to the stability and integrity of a building or structure in case of fire. Passive fire protection with proven fire performance properties is built into the structure of a building. It provides stability and the ability to separate the building into areas of manageable risk and to prevent the spread of smoke and fire from one area to another. Prestige Fire Safety is an approved installer of several major UK passive fire protection products, that can provide up to 240 minutes fire protection. Our suppliers can undertake thorough testing both during and upon completion of projects.
Using Onetrace software, we upload a floorplan of the property, so we can then pin point on the floorplan exactly what work has been carried out in each location. We use a handheld printer to print a unique ID label that is then placed on or near to the work carried out. This ID label corresponds with an ID number on the floorplan. Once the project is complete, we then generate a report showing what work has been carried out and where, including photos of the completed work.
Passive Fire FAQs
Fire stopping is used to seal around openings and between gaps in a fire-resistance rated wall, floor or ceiling.
Passive fire stopping measures can include using fire-rated materials to seal around pipes going through fire rated walls, using fire board and mastic to block off a larger area, or fire curtains which are particularly useful in roof voids.
Active fire protection requires action to be taken to detect or stop a fire, while passive protection will help to prevent a fire from spreading.
Firestopping materials are specialist products that form permanent seals between fire compartments. Fire stopping materials include things like specialist mastic, board, sleeves and collars.
It is recommended that a fire compartmentation survey is carried out annually to ensure that a building has been correctly fire-stopped and that there are no un-sealed penetrations that may have occurred as a result of maintenance work to the building since the previous fire compartmentation survey was carried out.