Passive fire protection is the cornerstone of an effective fire safety strategy for your buildings. Unlike active fire protection, such as fire suppression systems, alarms, and extinguishers, a passive fire protection system is built into the fabric of the building itself. Its aim is to slow or prevent the spread of fire, giving occupants time to evacuate and the fire and rescue service time to respond.
Passive fire protection relies on fire-rated materials and systems that remain in place before, during, and after a fire. These include fire doors, fire resisting construction, and other components designed to maintain the building’s structural integrity under fire conditions.
Buildings with stronger passive fire protection measures tend to limit fire spread more successfully. For example, in 2020–21, only 7% of fires in high-rise flats (10+ storeys) spread beyond the room of origin, compared to 10% in low-rise flats and 12% in houses or bungalows, largely due to stricter and more consistent use of passive fire protection.
Source: Fire Safety: Property Protection Final Report
This blog will outline the key components of an effective passive fire protection strategy, with in-depth insights into fire compartmentation, fire doors, and the importance of a robust fire strategy plan.
To ensure robust passive fire protection, the following components should be considered in your fire safety strategy:
Each of these elements plays a vital role in resisting fire spread and maintaining the structural performance of the building in the event of a fire. Let’s dive deeper into some of the most essential components.
Fire compartmentation ensures that:
To ensure the effectiveness of the compartmentation within your building, a Compartmentation Survey is the most reliable way to identify any gaps and provide peace of mind.
Interested in finding out more? Download our FREE Guide to Effective Fire Compartmentation to assess your approach and ensure compliance.
The fire resistance of a compartment is measured using an REI rating, for example, REI 30 or REI 60. Each letter represents an aspect of the compartmentation’s performance:
For example, an REI 30 wall will provide 30 minutes of structural stability, flame resistance, and heat insulation.
Before carrying out a Compartmentation Survey, it’s important to have a Fire Strategy in place to understand where your building requires passive fire protection to be in place. This document, prepared by a competent fire safety professional, outlines all fire safety measures relevant to your building, including:
Need support developing your Fire Strategy? Our qualified and accredited team can help you identify where compartmentation is required and ensure your approach is fully compliant.
Fire doors are fundamental to maintaining the integrity of fire compartments. Since a door creates an opening in a fire-resistant wall, the fire door itself must restore the fire resistance of that wall.
Fire doors are designed to:
A compliant fire door must meet stringent testing and certification requirements:
Certification must be backed by the manufacturer’s instructions, installation guidance, and test evidence.
Fire doors are typically either 30-minute (FD30) or 60-minute (FD60) fire rated:
Not all fire doors include automatic closing devices. Some may be fitted with signage such as:
Signage is important for communicating the intended use and function of each fire door to building users.
All compliant fire doors will have either smoke seals, intumescent strips, or both.
Correct frame-to-leaf gaps are essential for performance. The default industry position is a 3mm gap, but tolerances range from 2mm to 4mm, and some manufacturers permit as little as 1.5mm, depending on their guidance.
Examples of non-compliant fire door practices include:
If you’re looking for further support in navigating your passive fire protection duties and ensuring your buildings are safe from the spread of fire, get in touch with our team of experts.