Ensuring a building is fire safe, particularly when it is used by the public, is all-important. There are a variety of means through which fire safety is proven and established. In the UK, one of those means is a fire compartmentation survey.
What are they and why are they important?
What is a fire compartmentation survey?
Compartmentation is a method that’s used to divide buildings into smaller compartments to slow down, reduce and prevent smoke and fire spreading. This is achieved through fire-resistant materials deployed in key parts of the building layout.
To achieve successful compartmentation, fire doors and fire-resisting floors and walls will be used. Any glazing that faces onto an internal fire escape route will also need to be fire protected.
The aim of compartmentation is to slow down the spread of fire by at least thirty minutes, giving the occupants time to escape the building. Particular attention will therefore need to be paid to ensuring that exit routes are properly protected. It’s also important to consider where there is a door opening in compartment walls. Anything that passes through compartmentation walls, floors or ceilings such as cables, pipes or ductwork will need to be fire-stopped to prevent them from acting as a conduit for fire and smoke.
A fire compartmentation survey makes a thorough assessment of the fire-resistant components of the building. It ensures that they are fitted in a way that will aid compartmentation. It will assess how the building’s compartmentation works and its suitability in containing fires and smoke, as well as protecting escape routes.
What is the objective of a fire compartmentation survey?
A type 1 fire risk assessment will involve a visual assessment of a representative aspect of current compartmentation within a building but it will not usually involve a full compartmentation survey. If this sample survey identifies elevated risks, then a full compartmentation survey may be recommended.
The objective of a fire compartmentation survey is to fully evaluate the current state of the building’s compartmentation. It ensures that it is working as it was designed and conceived. The ultimate objective of the survey is to ensure that the design of the building and the deployment of fire-resistant materials work to slow the progression of the fire. This is particularly important in residential buildings, care homes, hospitals and other settings where people are sleeping.
A fire compartmentation survey either satisfies the building owner or manager that adequate fire protection is in place, or it identifies issues that can be rectified.
When is a fire compartmentation survey required?
In most cases, a standard Type 1 Fire Assessment will be sufficient for most buildings, including residential blocks. These need to be reviewed regularly and carried out by a competent person.
Of course, it’s quite possible that a fire assessment will reveal issues related to compartmentation that require further investigation. It might be that a full picture cannot be obtained through a Type 1 or Type 3 Fire Risk Assessment. In such instances, a fire compartmentation survey may be necessary. This may be because there is reason to believe there are defects in shared areas of the building, or in individual flats and rooms. These will require further thorough investigation.
A Type 1 Fire Risk Assessment may discover problems with the compartmentation, especially in areas that are difficult to access such as boiler rooms, roof voids and under floorboards. If there is reason to believe that breaches may be present, then a fire compartmentation survey will be required.
What is the risk of not having a fire compartmentation survey?
If your building uses compartmentation as part of its overall fire protection strategy, then you need to ensure that this will be effective should it be called upon. A fire compartmentation survey provides a thorough assessment of your current fire compartmentation protection. It identifies any potential breaches in that compartmentation and enables those breaches to be addressed as quickly as possible.
In a fire situation, the smallest breach can become a conduit for fire and smoke, aiding the spread of fire and increasing the risks to the building’s occupants. Without effective compartmentation methods, the rest of your fire safety measures could be compromised.
Contact ECS to find out more about how we can properly assess the current fire safety of your building.