What is fire separation?
Fire Separation is a type of construction such as a floor or wall with appropriate resistance to the spread of fire enabling the building to be divided into fire compartments. These stop or slow the spread of fire within a building.
What is fire stopping?
Fire stopping is the process of sealing of any openings or gaps created and around the penetration of cables, pipes, ducting, etc. with fire resistant materials to prevent fire (including smoke and heat) from passing through one compartment to another in
a building.
Why is it needed?
- To prevent rapid fire spread To reduce the chance of fires becoming large and more dangerous, not only to the occupants but to surrounding buildings and people in the vicinity
- To reduce damage to the building and the impact of fire on school operations
Examples of where fire stopping can be found?
- Walls - common to one or more buildings and dividing buildings into separate parts
- Special fire hazard enclosures – gas suppression systems etc.
- Junctions – walls to ceilings, doors etc.
- Shafts – stairways and lift shafts etc.
- Atriums – where atria may breach compartmentation
- Ceiling voids
How can you ensure works are carried out correctly?
- Permission - Submit a Building Work Notification Form to Client Services to obtain Landlords permission to carry out any works. The CS team can then direct you to where support and advice can be obtained.
- Education – understand the consequences of inadequate fire stopping/separation
- Contractors – procure appropriately experienced and accredited contractors
- Inspection – ensure your H&S representative inspects the completed work
- Certification - must be issued by the contractor to confirm the existing fire stopping/separation have been left in an appropriate condition
- Site Surveys – request a site survey from BET Services
During routine inspections, officers from the Council’s Built Enviroment Team noticed that in a number of schools fire stopping in ceiling voids has been breached by the installation of pipes, ICT cables and electrical cables.
It is very important when schools commission contractors to carry out works that instructions are given as part of the specification that fire stopping and fire separation barriers must not be breached. Where a contractor does need to penetrate fire separation
or fire stopping then this must be repaired correctly on completion of the works. The repairs should then be inspected by a competent person who can check that fire safety has not potentially been compromised.
Examples of fire stopping breaches:
Damage to fire curtain breaching the fire compartmentation
Damaged fire barrier causing breach to compartmentation in roof void
Various cables breaching fire separation/compartmentation wall
IT cables from a server breaching ceiling tiles
Various cables/pipes breaching fire walls. Unsuitable use of expandable foam to fill gaps
Heating pipes breaching the fire separation/compartmentation wall
Useful Contacts:
ClientServices@bradford.gov.uk –
School Building Work Notification Form
jamie.booth@bradford.gov.uk–
Fire Safety Advice