Fire compartmentation is an essential element of fire safety in buildings. Not only to help ensure a safe means of escape for those within it, but also to help restrict the spread and potentially reduce the amount of damage a property can suffer; ultimately improving the potential of business continuity after a major incident.

However, it is an unfortunate reality that alterations to buildings and the post-construction installation of services carries a high risk of breaches being made in the fire compartmentation.

For existing buildings where the fire compartmentation lines are unknown, it is essential that an in-depth understanding of fire compartmentation requirements (based on the use of the building) is available when designing a positive and effective approach to controlling the spread of fire.

Therefore a strong management approach to the identification, inspection and maintenance of the fire compartmentation is essential to ensure that it remains effective.

Freya has been advising on fire compartmentation requirements and designing fire compartmentation for over a decade.  Where compartmentation lines are unknown, we can support you in the production of plans showing these lines for ease of reference.  This will also ensure that when there are proposed works or alterations to a building, any breaches of compartmentation lines can be identified and fire-stopping solutions designed before damage is done.

Freya can carry out inspections of compartmentation lines to identify breaches, as well as inspection of fire doors. We will produce reports that dynamically capture the essential details and condition of each wall, floor and door, creating a database for future ongoing inspections. Areas of non-compliance are visually highlighted in a way that allows organisations to prioritise maintenance activity and expenditure (useful in times of budget constraints) whilst demonstrating an understanding of the nature and scale of the problem.

We can also support the creation of a door schedule and inspection programme, as required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) to ensure failings are quickly identified. The provision of a unique reference for each door set, which combined with location plans, assists in their identification for reporting of faults and long-term cost-effective maintenance.