When it comes to fire safety in buildings, many managers and property owners assume that once fire-rated doors and walls are installed, their compliance box is ticked.
However, achieving full passive fire protection is far more comprehensive and requires an ongoing commitment to safety measures throughout the life of the building.
Passive fire protection is not just about isolating flames—it’s about ensuring the entire structure is fortified against the rapid spread of fire, safeguarding both property and lives.
Let’s dive into what true passive fire compliance really entails and why it’s crucial to view it as a holistic process.
1. Proper Fireproofing of Penetrations
One of the most overlooked aspects of fire protection is the treatment of penetrations—where services like pipes, cables, or ducts pass through walls, ceilings, or floors.
These penetrations can become weak points in a building’s fire resistance if not properly sealed with fire-resistant materials.
Simply having fire-rated walls and ceilings isn’t enough if unprotected penetrations allow fire and smoke to travel from one compartment to another.
Ensuring compliance means that every penetration is sealed with tested and certified fire-stopping solutions that can withstand fire for the required duration, maintaining the integrity of the fire-rated compartments.
2. Adequate Compartmentalisation of the Building
Passive fire protection revolves around the principle of compartmentalization.
This involves dividing the building into smaller fire-resistant sections, or “compartments,” which help contain fire to its point of origin.
This is critical in delaying the spread of fire, giving occupants more time to evacuate and emergency services a better chance to control the situation.
Full compliance includes making sure that these compartments are designed and constructed correctly, with fire-rated barriers, walls, and floors in place.
Additionally, compartmentation needs to account for areas like stairwells, lift shafts, and service risers, which can act as vertical channels for fire and smoke if not properly protected.
3. Fire-Resistive Materials for Structural Elements
The structure of a building plays a major role in passive fire protection.
Columns, beams, and other load-bearing elements must be treated with fire-resistive materials to prevent collapse during a fire.
Without proper protection, the integrity of the building can be compromised long before the flames are controlled, leading to significant destruction or worse—loss of life.
Fire-resistive materials like intumescent coatings, fireproof boards, and sprays must be applied to these structural elements to give the building enough time to resist fire for a specified period, helping prevent catastrophic structural failure.
4. Regular Maintenance and Inspections
Fire safety is not a one-time task; it’s a continuous responsibility.
Buildings change over time, with new services being added, penetrations made, and materials wearing down.
A major part of staying compliant involves regular maintenance and inspections to ensure that all passive fire measures remain intact and effective.
Building managers must ensure routine inspections of fire doors, barriers, firestopping measures, and other elements.
These inspections not only check for physical wear and tear but also verify that any retrofitting or renovations have not compromised fire safety.
Kind Regards,
Ben Bakker
Passive Fire Protection SIG Chair 2024/2025
This article was first published on FPANZ webiste - https://www.fpanz.org/docs/newsletters