Fire Compartmentation

Inadequate fire compartmentation can lead to the rapid spread of fire and smoke, increased property damage, compromised safety for occupants and emergency responders, and potential legal and financial liabilities. Therefore, fire compartmentation is crucial for:

• Containing fires and smoke
• Limiting property damage
• Protecting occupants & the emergency services
• Allowing for safe evacuation

Find out more about why you need a fire compartmentation survey to assess whether your building’s fire compartmentation measures are suitable and effective.

Without proper maintenance, elements of fire compartmentation like fire doors can become worn or damaged, which compromises its effectiveness. Therefore, fire safety should be inspected regularly as part of a building's maintenance schedule - generally every six months - to ensure fire compartmentation is effective. This should be arranged by the responsible person that is in charge of fire compartmentation maintenance, which could be the building’s owner, manager, landlord, or letting agent.

Regular inspections will identify any maintenance issues that need attention. For example, all penetrations for pipes, cables, and ducts passing through fire-rated barriers will be checked, sealed or repaired with approved materials to prevent the passage of fire and smoke. Fire doors may require worn or damaged components like hardware, seals, and closers replaced to ensure they are in good condition and perform properly. Maintenance is an integral part of fire safety to ensure a properly functioning fire compartmentation system.

A full fire compartmentation survey wherein Adaston inspects each and every compartment line within a building to its full height. This includes both horizontal and vertical lines of fire compartmentation. Our surveyors inspect any penetration passing through the compartments to confirm that they are sealed with compliant materials, in line with manufacturers’ installation instructions.

Surveys can also include a full fire door inspection - which is highly recommended - inspecting all elements of a fire door to confirm elements are compliant, free from damage, and certified. We complete both visual inspections, including but not limited to:

• The door leaf
• Frame
• Ironmongery

Following the survey, a full report is produced detailing any non-conformances and their pinpoint locations within the building. This gives the responsible person the information required to complete the essential remediation works.

Whether your building is brand new or hundreds of years old, if fire compartmentation wasn't installed at the time of construction, this is something you need to rectify. Fortunately, existing buildings - even listed buildings - can be retrofitted with additional fire-resistant barriers, sealing of penetrations, upgrades to doors and windows, and other measures to improve fire compartmentation. While these features are usually built into a building’s construction, Adaston are able advise, where possible, on retrofitting extra measures.

Adaston is a fully 3rd party accredited company through IFC, a UKAS accredited assessment body. This ensures that all of our projects are delivered to industry leading quality standards. What’s more, our highly experienced team have worked across a wide range of sectors including commercial, education, healthcare, and residential. Since 2016, our team of passive fire protection experts have been trusted to deliver a complete, comprehensive fire compartmentation service.