When thinking about fire safety, it’s easy to jump straight towards the active measures you would take in the event of an emergency. Fire alarms, hoses and extinguishers all play a crucial role in efficiently detecting and putting out a fire. However, your fire stopping duties and responsibilities start long before any fire could break out and include any measures put in place to prevent or contain a fire. This is called passive fire protection and it is a critical aspect of fire stopping regulations in the UK. 

What Is Passive Fire Protection?

Passive fire protection encompasses all of the systems that may be implemented to restrict the spread of flames and fumes, such as fire doors and compartmentation within a building. These measures split the area or building into smaller and more manageable spaces in which a fire should, in theory, be contained. When correctly in place, passive fire protection therefore reduces the risk of structural damage and increases the likelihood that a building can be safely evacuated. 

How Does Passive Fire Protection Differ From Active Fire Protection?

Passive fire protection is not the only way of protecting your building in the event of a fire; you are also required to install appropriate active fire protection which encompasses measures that require action (either via a human or an automated system) to come to life once a fire has started. For example, fire extinguishers which will be activated by a nominated and trained individual, or fire alarms which will be triggered by a smoke detector.

In contrast to active fire protection, passive fire protection does not require intervention to work, though regular maintenance is critical to ensure that it appropriately limits damage in an emergency. These two types of fire protection should always be in place in tandem in a building. It is not a case of choosing one or the other; both types of fire protection work together to stop and/or limit the possible consequences of a fire. 

Why Is It Important?

While it may be active fire protection that you associate more closely with putting out and stopping a fire, there are a number of reasons why passive fire protection is an equally important aspect of any fire stopping strategy. These include:

Plays A Critical Role In Meeting Regulations

The most obvious reason why passive fire protection should not be overlooked is that it is a crucial part of abiding by fire stopping regulations in the UK. As per UK fire legislation and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a Responsible Person (typically the building owner, landlord or manager) is required to ensure that general fire precautions are maintained within their building. Passive fire protection measures are included within these precautions and therefore their installation and maintenance cannot be overlooked if you are the Responsible Person. You could face hefty penalties if you fail to abide by the Fire Safety Order.

Protects Your Assets

Beyond compliance, there are additional incentives for those prioritising passive fire protection. In the unfortunate event that a fire did break out, the subsequent damage to your business assets including stock and machinery could be substantial. The costs associated with replacing these items will undoubtedly be high and it is unlikely that your insurance would pay out if it is discovered that your prevention measures were not legal or sufficient enough. By prioritising proper protection now, you can be certain that structural damage or damage to assets is contained to a specific area, limiting both cost and upheaval in the aftermath of an emergency.

Speeds Up The Evacuation Process

We cannot talk about passive fire protection without highlighting its importance for safety. When a fire breaks out, the first priority should always be to evacuate the occupants of the building as quickly and as safely as possible. Appropriate passive measures keep the fire contained in specific areas and leave escape routes clear. This ensures that fire marshalls and professionals can carry out an evacuation of the building as quickly and efficiently as possible, reducing the risk of injuries or fatalities. 

How To Put Proper Passive Fire Protection In Place

The decision to set up proper passive fire protection in your building should never be a reactive one. Instead, it should be a central part of your overall fire stopping strategy and the measures you put in place should be correctly maintained and reviewed over time. For this reason, you must consult with an expert company when putting the proper protection in place. This will make sure that all of your responsibilities have been carefully considered at once and will ensure that only the most appropriate stopping systems are installed in the places they are needed. 

At WGP Maintenance, we offer tried and tested passive fire protection systems, including high-quality fire door surveys, installation and maintenance. We have maintained our BM Trada Q-Mark certification for over a decade, evidencing our expertise in this area of speciality and our ability to provide you and your building with only the best fire stopping service. Get in touch with us today to discuss your needs and find out how WGP Maintenance can offer you complete peace of mind.