Common sense dictates that fire stopping of gaps and channels in a building will reduce the risk of a fire spreading quickly. Mike Woolmington of Environmental Seals looks at the options available.
Fire takes no prisoners, and therefore sensible prevention methods are crucial to avoid the risk of tragedy. But every day, these precautions are discarded because of expense or ignorance, or they are simply deemed unnecessary to the project by specifiers and contractors. Ask yourself: if you know a building is unsafe, would you walk into it? The obvious answer is no, yet every day many buildings are constructed and refurbished with precious little thought given to containing fire in the event of an outbreak.
Regulations and their enforcement play a vital role in reducing injury and deaths in the home and workplace, but many more lives can be saved if common sense was to prevail. We have all seen the results, in an elementary school science lesson, of putting a lighted candle in a cardboard box and then sealing the box to starve the flames of oxygen. If the same principle of sealing and fire stopping when constructing or refurbishing a building was adopted, then the results would be obvious: property can be correctly protected and this will greatly reduce the risk of a fire taking hold and disaster happening.
With relatively new regulations like Approved Document P, many contractors are now becoming more accountable for the work they undertake, which can only be a good thing for the fire protection industry. For too long, building projects have been completed quickly at the expense of fire safety and, when tragedy strikes, blame is sometimes difficult to prove. However, with the expansion of companies offering ‘no win, no fee’ claims services, it is vital that fire safety professionals avoid potential litigation.
The introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order – expected to come into force later this year – will have a significant effect. It will mean that Fire Certificates will no longer be issued by the fire services, and businesses will be required to carry out a fire risk assessment. These assessments may well highlight the inadequacies of fire protection in many properties and ensure that a comprehensive fire protection policy is adopted.
Common sense is often the correct watchword for a sound fire prevention policy. So if a gap remains because, for example, a pipe or cable has passed through it, then filling it with passive fire protection around its duct is vital for the containment of a fire. With many service areas hidden behind suspended ceilings, stud walls and so on, can you be sure that your building is safe? Remember, every hole that is cut to pass a service through is potentially a fast route for a fire to spread, so it is essential to provide comprehensive protection at the source.
Sealing and fire stopping products come in a variety of options to suit a diversity of applications. Intumescent pillows can been fitted at every firewall breach, so ensuring that a vulnerable spot like electrical trunking can be protected. Fire and smoke stop curtains can be used, for example, to prevent the spread of smoke through industrial areas, shops and heritage buildings. These curtains consist of intumescent-coated glass cloth, together with an intumescent-coated sponge pad fitted to the lower edge, as an effective seal and for safe lowering of the barrier.
There are two main areas to consider when specifying passive fire prevention products. Firstly, it is essential that the appropriate Fire Test Evidence is made available, showing that the items perform as stated by the manufacturers. In our experience abridged versions sometimes mask the truth – all completed tests should be made available on request for all products (where applicable). Architects, building control and fire officers invariably insist that these documents be submitted to prove the validation of the product, before it can be specified. Envirograf is able to supply an extensive range of test certification from major test houses in the UK and Europe to support product performance.
Secondly, the selection of appropriate installers or applicators is critical. With this in mind, Environmental Seals has embarked on a partnership with the CITB and local colleges to develop a Construction Industry Training Standard to ensure fire prevention is carried out to an accredited standard. In addition to this, the regional offices are undertaking a training programme to become assessors, who will have the ability to verify the quality of any passive fire prevention works to a national standard. Contractors will be accredited to NVQ Level 2 for those who apply the products, and to NVQ Level 3 for those at a supervisory level. The aim of the venture is to develop a continuous training programme, thus enabling the individual to become qualified and hold an individual registration number, which will appear on a national database.
If we are serious about protecting property let us ensure that every building that is constructed, or refurbished, is completed to the highest possible safety standard.
