What Is Included in a Full Passive Fire Protection Survey
Posted on 31st May 2024
Passive fire protection plays a crucial role in the safety of your building. From checking your compartmentation to your fire doors, passive fire protection surveys make sure your building meets standards and legislation. As well as this, it means that any systems that are not functioning properly are highlighted to be replaced.
This article looks into what is checked during a passive fire protection survey and how to keep your building safe.
What Is Passive Fire Protection?
Passive fire protection is an important component of fire safety in your building. It works by preventing the spread of fire by installing systems, such as fire doors. Passive fire protection is used to split a building into sections, reducing the impact of any fires.
Unlike active fire protection, passive fire protection doesn't extinguish fires. The systems are used to contain the fire, making it easier to evacuate the building. As well as this, they help keep smoke and fire away from escape routes.
What Is a Passive Fire Protection Survey?
Passive fire protection surveys are the only way to know if your current protection is effective against fires. Your passive fire protection survey will involve a professional visiting your building. They will check the measures you have put in place and determine if they are still working correctly.
They will perform checks on all passive fire protection systems you have installed, such as:
Compartmentation:
Fire resistant walls
Fire resistant floors
Fire resistant ceilings
Fire Doors:
Installation
Fire Rating
Hardware/Ironmongery e.g hinges and self-closing devices
Fire stopping
Once your passive fire protection survey has been completed, you will receive a report on the level of protection you have. This report will also highlight any non-conformances and areas that need to be improved or the system to be replaced.
Is a Passive Fire Protection Survey Important?
There are a number of reasons why passive fire protection surveys are important, the main one is the regulations. Your building must comply with regulations, such as:
The owner or employer is responsible for ensuring fire safety is met in your building. This regulation is for non-domestic premises.
It requires that fire safety measures are installed and maintained.
Highlights the importance of maintaining fire safety and that risk assessments are carried out.
Focus on fire safety in high-rise residential buildings.
Requires building owners to implement passive fire protection systems into buildings.
Requires fire resistant walls, floors and doors to prevent the spread of fire and smoke.
Guidance on how to comply with fire safety requirements.
Guidance on passive fire protection systems, such as fire stops.
Shows the requirements of fire resistance walls, floors and ceilings.
Regular passive fire protection surveys are important to maintain your buildings fire safety. They help assess the effectiveness of your protective systems and highlight areas that need maintenance or replacing to comply with regulations.
How Do Passive Fire Protection Systems Work?
Fire Barriers
Fire barriers can come as either structures or materials that are designed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through the walls of your building. They create a physical barrier that reduces the amount of heat and fire that can move to different areas. Some of their benefits are:
Prevent fire and smoke spreading
Limit the damage to your building
Resistant to heat transfer
They play a crucial role as a passive fire protection system. When used with active fire protection they can help to extinguish fires and reduce by containing the fire in one area.
Fire Doors
Another passive fire protection system is fire doors. They act as barriers to prevent the spread of fire between areas of your building. They offer many benefits such as:
Preventing the passage fire and smoke, reducing damage to the building
Make sure escape routes stay clear
Protect those trying to escape from the building
Fire doors are a great way to contain fires and allow for safe evacuation during emergencies. If they are installed correctly and are regularly inspected, they offer reliable life saving properties.
Full Passive Fire Protection Surveys with GRJ Surveying
Our passive fire protection surveys offer you thorough assessment of your building protection systems. We are dedicated to help you maintain safety in your building, you can be confident our reports will advise you how your building can withstand fires.
Contact us to schedule your full passive fire protection survey and take steps towards a safe environment in your building.
Tagged as: passive fire protection, passive fire protection systems, what is passive fire protection
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