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Fire door

Fire stopping – what is it and why is it important?

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Fire stopping is an incredibly important part of fire protection and can help to ensure the safety of people within a building. This is especially important in a commercial environment as not complying with fire protection rules and regulations can be very damaging to a business reputation and can also have severe legal consequences, depending on the level of violation.

Fire stopping refers to the use of fire-resistant materials to fill openings and joints between walls and floors in buildings. The idea behind doing this is to slow down the spread of fire between building ‘compartments.

Fire sleeves

The idea of fire stopping methods are to prevent fire from spreading through cavities in buildings, and as pipes and cables run through these cavities and openings, it can allow fire to spread. This is where fire sleeves come in. Fire sleeves are used to fill and seal the gaps that can be created where the pipes and cables run through. In the event of a fire, the sleeve will expand in order to fill the available space. If there is a plastic pipe, then the fire sleeve will crush and seal off the pipe, which will prevent fire and smoke from passing through. Insulated fire sleeves are intended for use on most plastic pipes, copper and steel and can usually provide up to 2 hours of fire protection.

Fire covers

The purpose of a fire cover is to stop fires of luminaires in suspended ceilings that are fire rated. In the event of a fire, a fire cover will expand internally and fill all available space with a fire-resistant, highly insulating char.

Fire collars

A fire collar is a circular device that can be fitted around the base of pipes. A fire collar can then be attached to a masonry, plasterboard or concrete partition. In the event of a fire, pipe and cable openings can become weakened and the fire can affect the pipe or cable quite significantly. Using a fire collar can reinstate the integrity of the resistance of the wall and is fire tested for up to 4 hours.

Fire sealants and gap fillers

If lines are installed after a building has already been built, no matter how well it was built, the integrity of the building can weaken. Building on top of something that may have the best fire protection strategy in mind, can compromise safety. This is where fire sealants and gap fillers come in. Gap fillers and sealants can close any penetrations and restore the building to its original fire safety standards.

The best materials for fire stopping

In order to ensure that maximum safety is in place when it comes to fire-stopping, you must make sure that openings for things such as cables, beams, pipes, ducts are kept as minimal as possible to ensure maximum safety for a building’s occupants. Common fire stopping materials can include, cement mortar, cement or gypsum-based vermiculite mixes, intumescent mastics, fire shutters and curtains, fire-resistant glazing, linear gap seals, cavity barriers and fire-resistant air transfer grilles.

There are some things that you should always be aware of when it comes to implementing certain fire-resistant materials. Make sure that all pipes, cables and ducts are inspected by a professional, in order to make sure that they are completely safe.

The importance of fire stopping

Fire stopping is incredibly important as it can quite literally save lives. Fire stopping is also an essential component of maintaining building safety. However, once installed, the fire safety measurements will need to be checked regularly by a professional. Failure to do this, could mean breaking fire safety laws, which could have legal consequences. This also means that in the event of a fire, you could be held accountable.

If you have any questions regarding fire stopping, please get in touch, we’d be happy to help.
School refurbishment

8 Top Tips for a Successful School Refurbishment

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1. Planning and organising

A lot of planning is required in order to conduct a successful school refurbishment, as children are at school for the majority of the year. The best times to conduct the refurbishment would be during the holidays, Christmas, Easter and summer. These times are best for smaller projects and also medium sized projects.

Basic principles

The basic principle of any building is to consider the actual, physical construction of the building. This includes insulation. The insulation is incredibly important, especially in a school, as buildings can get incredibly cold in the winter in England. The role of insulation is also to keep heat out during summer. These factors will play a crucial role in the comfort of students and teachers within the school. This will in turn increase productivity and moral.

Consider space

Space must be considered when completing a school refurbishment. This is very important for schools, as students need space to learn. A typical classroom can consist of around 20-30 students, and each student will need at least a chair and a desk or table. So, in order to create a successful school refurbishment, making the most out of space will be one of the most important considerations.

Outdoor space also must be considered. This is due to the fact that most schools have a playground for children to play in. Most schools will also have at least a couple hundred students in them, and these students will all have lunchtime at the same time, and so will use the playground at the same time.

Comfort

A school needs to be a comfortable place for all parties. Most students will be at school around 8 hours, and so need to be comfortable. Floorspace is a big consideration when refurbishing a school. Children need space to comfortably learn and having a large enough classroom with enough floorspace is key to this. The whole purpose of a building is to provide comfort and safety to its occupants. Therefore, the comfort of its occupants needs to be one of the main considerations when carrying out refurbishments. Things such as air conditioning, temperature, and natural lighting must all be considerations.

Consider its location

Location is a very important consideration when conducting the refurbishment of a school. The amount of outdoor space in the school’s location can determine the size of a school, the amount of playground space, and also if any residential areas etc are nearby. Also, if there is a forest or lake nearby, then these can be utilised within the refurbishment of the school.

Reducing waste production

The construction industry is responsible for most of the waste produced in this country, which is a staggering 40% of total waste production. This is argued to be because of the population growth that most cities are experiencing, as well as the large increase in construction from the 1960s. We can combat this by ensuring that most, if not all, waste is sent to recycling facilities, and also using more recycled materials.

Responsibility

At the very early stages of the project, responsibility needs to be assessed and given to whoever needs to take responsibility. It is important that the school is kept informed every step of the process. The school needs to have a clear understanding of the design and contract programme and also needs to know what is going to happen every step of the way of the school refurbishment. The school official also needs to know about health and safety and contractual regulations regarding the build.

Health and safety

Both the school and the construction contractor have a responsibility to ensure that risk assessments and method statements are consistently monitored. For example, fire exits, and all fire systems need to be agreed upon by all parties. It is also important that these exits, and site boundaries are clearly marked, and signage is amended as appropriate.

 If you have any questions about school refurbishments,please get in touch, we’d be happy to help.
fire door

Why fire doors are critical for your commercial building

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As it’s a legal requirement in commercial buildings to have the correct systems in place for fire stopping and fire protection, the importance of fire doors cannot be underestimated. It’s a key feature which will help protect the lives of customers and the public, as well as all members of staff, in the event of a fire. Having fire doors fitted by FIRAS accredited experts will ensure that the surrounding walls and structures stay intact, unfortunately there have been many instances of fire doors not doing their job due to poor fitting and maintenance.

Since Grenfell in 2017, fire regulations have become a lot stricter and there is a lot more scrutiny based on whether a company complies with fire regulation. Only 66% of fire audits conducted across England were deemed satisfactory in 2019/2020, and only 59% of licensed premises were satisfactory. Therefore, it is obvious that some work needs to be done in order to raise the bar on fire safety standards.

However, it can be difficult to navigate the rules surrounding fire doors, as it depends on many factors, such as the number of occupants, overall purpose and size of the building, to name a few.

Different types of fire door

Fire doors are heavily tested in order to find out their ‘grade’. The grade refers to the duration that a fire door can provide protection for in the event of a fire. The materials that were used to build the fire door can mean that the results can vary for different doors.

The main organisation that gives fire door ratings is the British Woodworking Federation (BWF). The ratings are assessed using 4 main integrity levels and can also vary from FD30 (30 minutes) to FD120 (120 minutes). The average fire door grade in commercial buildings is typically FD60 or above, compared to FD30 or FD60 in residential buildings. This can all depend on the materials being used to build the fire door, as commercial buildings will typically opt for a much safer door due to the presence of high-risk materials or things that are of a particular value to an organisation.

Steel doors

In a commercial building, a steer door may be the best way to go. This is because they are solid and durable and can offer the maximum protection of above FD120 (120 minutes). A lot of the time, steel doors are used in settings such as hospitals and kitchens.

Glass fire doors

Glass fire doors must be made from fire-rated glass, it cannot be made from regular glass. Regular glass will shatter if it reaches temperatures above 120 degrees Celsius. However, fire-rated glass can withstand temperatures of up to 900 degrees Celsius and can last up to 60 minutes without cracking or breaking.

Wooden fire doors

Wooden fire doors are very popular in residential properties, and they can provide the same level of protection as glass fire doors. This can be anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes. Many wooden fire doors’ cores are made from magboard, particleboard, flax board or timber.

Frames and hinges

Regulations should be followed to the letter as it can mean the difference between life or death, when it comes to the event of a fire. This includes the use of fire door frames and hinges. Frames and hinges must also comply with fire door regulations and the materials and products used for these is just as important as the materials used for the actual fire door itself.

All materials that are used in the construction of fire doors, frames and hinges must be Certifire approved, and where necessary, CE marked. CE marking is how a product complies with EU safety, and other safety legislation. CE marking also requires being vetted by an independent third party. The gap between a fire door and its frame cannot exceed 4mm in size. This is in order to block smoke coming through to the rooms protected by fire doors.

The hinges in which fire doors hang must be made of metal with a metal point of above 800 degrees Celsius. The hinges also must be CE marked and there must 3 hinges on every fire door.

Commercial regulations

A ‘responsible person’ must be allocated on each commercial premises and it will be that person’s job to conduct a thorough fire risk assessment (FRA). In this assessment, any misuse or neglect must be noted. For example, it can be dangerous to wedge open a fire door. However, this is an extremely common thing to do, which compromises the fire door’s ability to do its job and protect people in the event of a fire. It was reported that 68% of buildings visited by the fire service in 2018, had doors wedges open.

The risks of non-compliance

There are very high penalties for not meeting the fire protection regulations, fines of £5,000 and even prison sentences can be carried out for not complying with fire safety regulations. In 2007, supermarket brand Tesco was fined £95,000 for wedging open its fire doors.

If you would like any advice on fire doors installation in your commercial building, please feel free to get in touch, we’d be happy to help.

5 Fire Safety Elements for Commercial Buildings

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It is incredibly important to maintain fire safety in a commercial building. It’s important as it keeps your customers safe, as well as yourself and your employees. It’s crucial to maintain fire safety equipment and to make sure that your building covers fire laws.

Commercial fires can be caused by the same reasons that domestic fires can, such as ovens, faulty electrics, arson etc. However, the good news is that these fires can be prevented, and measures can be taken to ensure that the building is as safe as it can be.

Use of fire alarms

Fire alarms are an incredibly important part of fire safety as they are the warning signal to people to exit the building. Fire alarms are arguably, the most important feature in a fire safety system. Fire alarms are used as they usually detect a fire the earliest.

However, you are not actually required by law to have a fire alarm system on the premises, it is typically the easiest and most convenient system to have. Although the law states that you do not have to have a fire alarm system in the building, you must have an appropriate fire detection system in place.

Exit Signs

Exit signs are another crucial part of fire safety in a commercial setting. This is because people need to know where to go in the event of a fire. Having signs that clearly point to the exit, is crucial. If people do not know here to go, then a panic will ensue. These kinds of panics can sometimes be fatal as people tend to not think logically. It’s imperative that people remain calm when there is a fire, as it can mean the difference between life and death. Therefore, exit signs are so important.

Emergency lights

Emergency lights are also incredibly important to use alongside exit signs. During a fire, there is typically a lot of smoke. This can obscure vision and make the setting extremely difficult to navigate around, even in a familiar setting. Therefore, emergency lights are important, as they can guide people to the exit. They are easier to see through the thick smoke. Furthermore, light up exit signs switch to emergency power when it cannot connect to the main power.

Fire extinguishers

A lot of commercial buildings have fire extinguishers nearby. However, you must know how to use one in order to operate it. Usually, the operation of these is included within fire safety training.

Fire extinguishers should also not be any further than 75 feet away from each other, as people should not have to travel more than this in order to reach a fire extinguisher. They should also be stored near the exits, as people coming in should not have to travel far to reach one to put out a fire.

Fire sprinklers

A lot of the time in commercial buildings, a sprinkler system will be used. This can be an effective way to reduce a fire, or even stop a fire. These systems require regular maintenance and upkeep by licensed inspectors.

If you would like to find out any more information on fire safety, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Eco friendly materials

Eco-friendly wood materials for fire protection

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There is an increasing demand for eco-friendly materials to be used wherever they can due to the current climate crises. Is this actually what’s good for your construction though?

The requirements of fire protection materials

First of all, there are many requirements that need to be met when using eco-friendly materials. Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to fire protection, so companies have a responsibility to make sure that the materials that they are using to build with are safe to use and will remain safe throughout the building’s life cycle.

In any building structure, compartmentalising can make the building much safer in the event of a fire and compartmentalising buildings should be the standard practice whenever building any structure. This method can be useful as it can restrict the spread of a fire.

In order to make a wood building fire resistant, internal cladding and linings should be used in the compartments. Also, cavity barriers should be positioned in the external cavity walls of a timber frame structure as this can also prevent a fire spreading through the concealed cavities of a building. You can read more on this here.

Using wood for fire-protection

Surprisingly, wood can actually be a good fire retardant material because its properties are well-known, and it is known how wood typically reacts in a fire. The charring properties of wood can prevent a structure from collapsing. It has been known that wood chars evenly at a rate of about 1 millimetre per minute. Being able to predict how a material will react in the event of a fire can be invaluable. This allows the emergency services to be able to formulate a plan to combat the fire as they know what’s going to happen and the speed at which the fire is likely to spread.

There is actually an 18-storey timber-frame building in Norway that is the tallest timber frame building in the world!

Eco-friendly material

Eco-friendly materials can have different descriptions based on personal opinion and personal passion. In general terms, eco-friendly refers to being good or bad for the environment, but it can have complex discussions surrounding the issue.

Wood, when being used to build with, requires treatments to make it fire-retardant. A lot of these treatments can be toxic, which is not good for the environment, or good for human health. However, there has been a lot of research conducted more recently on toxic and non-toxic treatments for wood.

Treatments for wood protection have been used ever since timber was first used by man. Some conventional timber treatments would include oil or wax, such as linseed, beeswax and tung oil. These are regarded as eco-friendly materials. In more modern times though, wood treatments have been more reliant on harsh substances and chemicals. Creosote (made from coal tar), for example, used to be a popular wood sealant. It was later found out that Creosote is carcinogenic, so as of 2003, it has been banned in Great Britain to the general public. A lot of these harsher methods for wood treatment have now been banned.

How can the eco-friendly wood materials help with fire protection?

The eco-friendly treated wood releases water vapour while burning, which decreases the combustion temperature, slowing the spread of fire, thus proving that eco-friendly materials are generally safer. Not only are eco-friendly materials safer for the environment, but they are safer for human health too.
If you have any questions for us, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Fire protection

Fire Protection for New Buildings

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The principal method of fire stopping and damage limitation is achieved through compartmentalising a building. This involves the installation of fire-resistant walls, floors and ceilings.
In the last 10 years the UK has seen a 37% reduction in fires that require the assistance of the fire service. This has also resulted in a 27% drop in the number of casualties. The decrease can be partly be attributed to the advancement of fire protection methods that stall the spread of fires to enable the safe evacuation of occupants to the building, provide an early alert and prevent ignition. Despite these positive number, 68,871 serious fires were recorded in 2019 meaning that there are still improvements to be made in fire safety to protect and preserve life.
Construction companies have an obligation to incorporate fire safety into the design and construction of buildings. So, what requirements need to be met, how is the risk evaluated and which protection methods should be installed?

Fire Protection and the Law

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to every building used for the public and as workplace. The law states that a designated responsible person with a level of control over the building must take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of fire and to ensure safe evacuation of all people occupying the building should a fire break out. Part B of the Building Regulations covers residential dwellings through several requirements such as the use of adequate fire warnings and escapes, the installation of passive fire protections to stop the spread of external and internal fire and the presence of access for fire services. Compliance of these regulations is the very minimum to ensure fire safety in buildings and also applies to the health and safety requirements during the construction of the building.

Risk Assessing

Before applying fire protection strategies to any building, the risks must be identified. A full fire risk assessment must be carried out at the design phase. It should then be repeated during construction to ensure fire safety measures are being included and then again before the building is handed over to the client. The final assessment demonstrates compliance and aids the building owners in enforcing fire protection once they become responsible.
A fire safety risk assessment should include:
  • Fire risks including potential ignition points, flammable materials or areas that could fuel or help spread a fire.
  • What risk it poses to people. It must include any vulnerabilities people have that would inhibit their safe evacuation from a fire, lone workers or groups of people working with combustible materials.
  • The solutions put in place to minimise the risk.
  • A plan for emergencies such as escape routes and access for fire services.
  • A review and checking procedure to ensure that fire safety is a high consideration.

Active and Passive Fire Protection

Once the fire risk assessment is complete and hazards have been mitigated, plans should be made to minimise the impact of any remaining risks. To do this, active and passive fire protection systems need to be in place. Both of these measures provide the building with measures to fight a fire and prevent it from spreading. Architects and contractors must work together to implement these measures into the design of a building and maintain them to deliver continued protection.

Active Fire Protection

Active fire protection is the term given to fire safety measures taken to fight fires after they have started. They are a powerful and essential line of defence for all buildings. Active systems include sprinklers, fire extinguishers and automatic dousing systems. Designers should consider each system to the building using water, foam, powders or gases to stop a fire in the quickest and safest way.

Alarm systems are also a powerful fire protection tool that are imperative to the fire safety of a building. Fire alarms alert occupants immediately to a threat which means action can be taken quickly.

Passive Fire Protection

Passive fire protection is imperative to preventing the spread of a fire. Passive measures resist the fire, compartmentalise its impact, protect the structural integrity of the building and provide vital time for people to evacuate. They are referred to as passive measures because they require no action in order to work.

Passive measures are usually installed in the structure of the building. They are built into walls, ceilings and floors and provide the following benefits:
  • Structural support
  • Heat insulation
  • Reduction of the spread of gas and smoke
Passive fire protection plans require a range of measures to work together to provide the best defence.

Common passive fire protection installations include fire doors, partition glazing, cavity barriers and gap seals. Passive measures can also be found in the foundations of buildings in the form of concrete, bricks and gypsum plasterboard. This is also used to protect structural stability of the building and compartmentalises fires. Some measures can offer up to four hours of protection allowing time for firefighters to arrive and tackle the blaze.

Dampening is another important passive fire protection tool. Ducts, pipes and cables provide hidden passage for fire and smoke to spread which is usually gone unnoticed. It is essential to include fire and smoke dampeners when installing heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. Proper maintenance of these installations is needed for the measures to be effective.

Planning Evacuation

A key part of a fire protection plan is to design a safe evacuation route. All occupants of the building must be able to leave quickly and safely in the event of a fire. Alternatively, architects should design fire-proof areas for those that aren’t able to evacuate. These spaces are designed to protect people until the fire service arrive. When planning an escape route, maximum capacity of the building, consideration of the mobility needs of the building users and access for firefighters are essential.
Header

Fire Stopping And The Law

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The principal method of fire stopping and damage limitation is achieved through compartmentalising a building. This involves the installation of fire-resistant walls, floors and ceilings.
It is often required to breach these fire-resistant materials to access services such as:
  • Cables
  • Pipes
  • Ventilation systems

Access to these services requires there to be gaps between the fire-resistant elements. These must be sealed so that the integrity of the elements is maintained.

What National Regulations Cover Fire-Stopping?

The following regulations are published as statutory acts covering life safety:

Why is Fire Stopping Mandatory?

Fire wardens are essential for the safe evacuation of guests and employees in the event of a fire. When appointing fire wardens there are some important factors to consider:
“If a fire separating element is to be effective, then every joint, or imperfection of fit, or opening to allow services to pass through the element, should be adequately protected by sealing or firestopping so that the fire resistance of the element is not impaired.” (10.2)
The document is very clear that every opening in a fire rated element needs to be sealed.
“In addition to any other provisions in this document for fire-stopping:
a. joints between fire separating elements should be fire stopped and
b. all openings for pipes, ducts, conduits or cables to pass through any part of a fire separating element should be:
i) kept as few in number as possible and
ii) kept as small as practical, and
iii) fire stopped (which in the case of a pipe or a duct, should allow for a thermal movement.) (10.17)”
The final sentence rules out the use of sand, cement or concrete to seal around services.
The Non-Domestic Technical Handbook also states:

“Compartment walls and compartment floors (including a fire resisting ceiling) are intended to prevent fire passing from one compartment to another. Openings and service penetrations through these walls or floors can compromise their effectiveness and should be kept to a minimum. The solum and roof space should not be forgotten. Openings and service penetrations should be carefully detailed and constructed to resist fire.” (2.1.15)

“Where a wiring system passes through elements of building construction such as floors, walls, roofs, ceilings, partitions or cavity barriers, the openings remaining after passage of the wiring systems shall be sealed according to the degree of fire resistance required of the element concerned.” (527-02-01)

“Where a wiring system such as a conduit, cable ducting, cable trunking, busbar or busbar trunking penetrates an element of building construction having specified fire resistance it shall be internally sealed so as to maintain the degree of fire resistance of the respective element as well as being externally sealed to maintain the required fire resistance.” (527-02-02)

Why Should All Firestop Products Be Tested?

Approved Document B states the following on the subject of testing:

“the….product…should be in accordance with a specification or design which has been shown by test to be capable of meeting that performance or have been assessed from test evidence against appropriate standards.” (Appendix ‘A’ 1a)

“Provide…propriety fire-stopping and sealing systems which has been shown by test to maintain the fire resistance of the wall or other element.” (10.19)

Regulations and Guidelines

Why is it Recommended That Specialist Contractors are Accredited to a Third-Party Scheme?

Approved Document B states the following on the subject of accreditation of contractors:

“Third party accreditation of installers of systems, materials, products or structures provide a means of ensuring that installations have been conducted by knowledgeable contractors to appropriate standards, thereby increasing reliability of the anticipated performance in fire.” (0.15)

All of our contractors are members of FIRAS. FIRAS is a UKAS certification scheme run by the Warrington Fire Research Establishment.

Fire-Stopping and Liability

Numerous pieces of legislation and guidelines regarding firestopping apply on all construction sites and buildings undergoing renovation. At this stage, designers and constructors have ultimate responsibility in terms of complying with the different legislation; however, sub-contractors will have a duty to also adhere to the regulations.
The Joint Code of Practice on the Prevention for Fire of Construction Sites states:
“Construction works should be designed, planned and sequenced to achieve the early installation and operation of:
a) Permanent fire escape stairs, including compartment walls;
b) Fire compartments within the building under construction, including the installation of fire doors, and the completion of fire stopping with special given to lift shafts, service ducts and voids which offer a passageway to heat and smoke.” (8.1)
The Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 stipulates that all who are involved in a construction project have a duty of care. Sufficient knowledge and competence checks have to be carried out and the reduction or elimination of health and safety risks must be achieved during the construction process and at the end when users are in the building.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order

The Fire Safety Order applies to all workplaces within England and Wales with the exception of mines and workplaces that occur offshore. Every employer or building owner appoints a ‘Responsible Person’ who ensures the company’s compliance in the regulations the order stipulates.

One of the pivotal duties that a ‘Responsible Person’ performs is the undertaking of an annual risk assessment on the building which includes identifying potential features that could promote the spread of fire and the steps that are going to be taken to reduce the likelihood of those features contributing towards a fire.

In Scotland, The Fire Act 2005 applies in the same way as the Fire Safety Order.

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