In this article we highlight the importance of passive fire protection. This is often out of sight, but without the correct measures in place, building occupants are at risk.
In social housing, service penetrations created from mechanical, electrical or plumbing works are one of the most common causes of breaches in fire compartmentation.
When these penetrations are not correctly designed, sized and sealed, they would allow fire and smoke to spread far beyond the point of origin – placing residents at serious risk.
Requirements are even more stringent following the introduction of the Building Safety Act and Approved Document B, reaffirming the importance of tested, compliant fire stopping solutions for service penetrations.
This issue is particularly critical in multi-occupancy housing, where retrofit works, legacy installations, lack of awareness and poor co-ordination between trades result in hidden risk.
Trail Group has a long track record of delivering passive fire protection and remediation work for local authorities and social landlords across London, the Southeast of England and further afield.
Our teams address issues such as:
- Inadequately sealed service penetrations
- Oversized or poorly formed openings
- Incorrect use of foams and fire-rated products.
For social housing providers and other building owners, getting this right is not just about compliance.
It is about protecting residents first and foremost, as well as safeguarding assets and demonstrating a robust, auditable approach to building safety.
Fire stopping for service penetrations saves lives and needs the same level of attention as any other critical fire protection measure – from fire doors and emergency lighting to fire alarms and sprinkler systems.
Read more about our passive fire safety services here.