What Is Fire Stopping?
Fire Stopping is a vital element of compartmentation and is used to maintain the integrity of a compartment to stop the vertical or horizontal spread of a fire, heat, smoke and fumes. It is essential that any breaks in a compartment, such as entrances, service penetrations, and joints between elements of construction are fire-stopped in order to ensure that a building and its occupants will have a better chance of survival in the event of a fire.
Global’s Fire Stopping team are skilled and experienced in providing the best solutions to your requirements, ensuring you are safe in the knowledge that your property and occupants are protected by expertly installed Fire Stopping solutions.
We can assess the full scope of what is needed to bring your premises up to legislative standards, employing various methods to create safe and secured compartments. All of Global’s remedial works are installed to manufacturers’ detailing and guidelines and are third-party certified.
Compartmentation Surveys
Detailed compartmentation surveys are assessments of how well a dwelling can protect important escape routes and high-value areas. This includes roof spaces, service risers and floor voids.
Fire Penetration Seals
Pipe closures are essential for maintaining the integrity of fire-resistant compartments where cross-linked plastic pipes (PEX), plastic trunking, and insulated steel or pipes pass through floors or walls. Unlike metal or cable penetrations, these materials soften and collapse under heat, necessitating measures to prevent the spread of fire.
Fire Doors
Global’s FD30s PAS24 Composite Fire Doors Range. Global can survey, supply and install Fire Doors to meet your bespoke requirements, with an industry-best lead time.
Cavity Barriers
In construction, cavity barriers are essential for stopping fire and smoke spread through concealed voids. Made from flexible fire-resistant fabrics, stone mineral wool, sometimes including intumescent materials, that expand with heat. Strategically placed in voids and cavities, these barriers seal spaces to contain fire, reduce damage, and enhance overall safety.
Fire Curtains
A fire curtain is a crucial safeguard against fire and smoke spread in buildings. Made from heat-resistant materials like fiberglass and aramid, these devices automatically descend upon fire alarm activation, forming an impenetrable barrier against flames and smoke.
Compartmentation
Compartmentation is crucial for building fire safety, using fire-resistant materials and features like fire doors and barriers to divide structures into sections. These compartments prevent fire from spreading beyond their designated areas, whether within a single building or adjacent structures.
Fire Dampers
Fire dampers are essential for preventing fire and smoke from spreading through ductwork, thus saving lives and providing evacuation time. They must be installed and maintained by skilled technicians following manufacturer guidelines and accredited standards.
Who is responsible for Fire stopping?
Fire stopping regulations require individuals to meet specific compliance standards according to their roles. For instance, BS 7671:2018 places the onus on the person installing electrical systems, while the Building Fire Safety Act designates this responsibility to the developer, principal designer and principal contractor in new residential constructions.
The aim of these regulations is to foster a collaborative approach to fire stopping, ensuring that everyone involved, from architects and designers to contractors and developers, fulfils their responsibilities. Enforcement is carried out by various authorities, such as the local Fire and Rescue Service and the Building Safety Regulator.
Once a building is in use, a designated person must oversee ongoing fire safety compliance. This person’s duties include working with residents to identify and mitigate fire risks, arranging professional fire risk assessments, and implementing necessary changes and maintenance to uphold fire safety standards throughout the building’s life.
What UK Laws and Regulations Need to Be Followed in Regard to Fire Stopping?
The Building Fire Safety Act
Starting in October 2024, the Building Fire Safety Act will apply to most buildings and structures, excluding private homes. Significant aspects include transferring financial liability for non-compliance to landlords and developers, establishing a fire safety manager role for buildings taller than 7 storeys to oversee fire stopping solutions, and mandating registration for building inspectors and control approvers to enforce compliance with the Building Safety Regulator.
The Construction (Design Management) Regulations 2015
These regulations are crucial for managing health and safety on construction projects, covering all buildings, new builds, and renovations. They provide guidance for each of the seven duty holders involved: client, domestic client, principal designer, designer, principal contractor, contractor, and worker. Responsibilities include minimising fire safety risks, sharing information on fire stopping measures among duty holders, and engaging workers to maintain a safe worksite.
The Fire Safety Act 2021
Introduced in March 2020, this act addresses significant loopholes in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order of 2005. It mandates fire stopping in all residential buildings, not just high-rises, and empowers fire services to address non-compliance issues related to external walls and individual doors leading to common areas. Additionally, it imposes a legal obligation on the responsible person to procure a fire risk assessment.
BS 7671:2018
These regulations oversee the materials, installation, and performance of electrical systems concerning fire stopping. They ensure wiring systems maintain integrity during fires. Appendix 13 details strategies for preserving effective escape routes which, alongside fire stopping solutions, maximise safe evacuation time.
Why choose Global’s Fire Stopping Team?
Our team of Fire Stopping technicians are highly skilled and passionate about making your project safe and compliant. We strive to provide experienced and bespoke solutions to your premises, leaving you safe in the knowledge that Global has gotten the job right.
