Fire Compartmentation Surveys: What They Are and When You Need One
Fire compartmentation is the division of a building into fire-resistant compartments designed to contain fire and smoke for a specified period — typically 30 or 60 minutes. Compartment walls, floors, and barriers prevent fire from spreading between areas, protecting means of escape and giving occupants time to evacuate safely.
A fire compartmentation survey is a detailed inspection of a building’s passive fire protection measures. Surveyors examine compartment walls and floors for breaches, check fire stopping around service penetrations (pipes, cables, ducts), inspect fire barriers in roof voids and ceiling voids, and verify that fire doors maintain compartment integrity.
Compartmentation surveys are typically recommended as part of a fire risk assessment, particularly in buildings where the original fire compartmentation may have been compromised by subsequent alterations, maintenance work, or service installations. They’re essential for higher-risk residential buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022.
Common compartmentation deficiencies include unsealed holes around pipe and cable penetrations, missing fire stopping above suspended ceilings, damaged fire barriers in roof spaces, improperly installed or modified fire doors, and gaps around ductwork penetrations. These breaches can allow fire and smoke to spread rapidly between compartments, potentially making a building unsafe.
Remedial works following a compartmentation survey typically involve installing or replacing fire stopping materials, sealing service penetrations, repairing or replacing fire barriers, and addressing any structural deficiencies. All remedial works should be carried out by competent contractors using third-party certified fire stopping products.
Custodia helps property managers track fire compartmentation surveys and the resulting remedial works as part of a comprehensive fire risk management programme, linking compartmentation findings to the broader fire risk assessment action plan.