Fire-Stopping

We have been campaigning for the last six years for the manufacturers of fire-stopping products to state far more clearly how and where their products should be used.

When we started, our research found a minority of popular products readily available at most wholesaler outlets, where their data sheets and fire safety testing certificates did not support all of the fire-resistence qualities and fire-stopping applications stated on the packaging.

The situation has changed only to the extent that similar fire-resistant products remain for sale, but at least no attempt is made in the technical data sheets to mislead the user into believing the products have any reliable or credible fire-resistant capabilities. Instead, we now see disclaimers that infer the users cannot rely upon the fire resistance of the product at all. Whether that is an improvement in the situation we leave to others to decide.

It follows, therefore that a responsible installer will understand the importance of only using fire-stopping products that come from equally responsible manufacturers that publish credible fire-testing data and provide accessible support services to advise on how their products should be used.

For the last few years there was an expectation the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) would take on responsibility for the national regulation of construction products, and in due course create the National Regulator for Construction Products (NRCP). Schedule 11, Section 146 of The Building Safety Act 2022 indicates The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision in relation to the marketing and supply of construction products in the United Kingdom. This implies we may have to wait for any movement on this front.

Every day, tradespeople like electricians, plumbers and other services installers, drill through fire compartment walls, floors and ceilings as part of their normal activities. Refurbishing workers often come across gaping and empty holes that should be fire-stopped.

According to the Building Safety Act 2022, the liability for costs of relevant defects in the work of a contractor depends on when the work was completed and what kind of defect it is:

• For work completed before 28 June 2022, the contractor is liable for any defect that causes a risk to safety from fire or building collapse for up to 30 years from the date of completion. This applies to both new construction and refurbishment, or remedial works.
• For work completed after 28 June 2022, the contractor is liable for any defect that causes a risk to safety from fire or building collapse for up to 15 years from the date of completion. This also applies to both new construction and refurbishment, or remedial works.

We would therefore, respectfully suggest, this provides a fairly strong incentive for anyone who regularly engages in any kind of fire-safety work, to ensure they review their firm's and their operatives' level of competency to undertake such work on a regular basis. As it is true it is just as easy to do something the right way, as it is the wrong way, here are a few tips on how to fire-stop correctly:

• There is an ongoing debate on the safe use of fire-resistant expanding foams in many types of fire-stopping situations. If you use one, you must be absolutely certain you can rely upon the manufacturer's specifications and suggested method of application for the intended use. One way to escape the foam debate, is to simply rely upon alternative fire resistant mastics and approved cavity fillers such as mineral wool and batt.
• Ask the client, the principal designer, or the principal contractor if they have a policy on what kind of fire-stopping methods are permitted.
• Make sure you know the required fire resistance rating of the wall, floor, or ceiling substrate you are planning to fire-stop. The fire-stop must match the specified fire resistance of the fire-compartments affected by your work.
• Only use fire-stopping products from manufacturers who provide technical support and comprehensive written guidance on how their products should be used in different situations.
• There is no single method of fire-stopping that is suitable for all situations.
• Do your research, or ask the manufacturers' technical support teams for alternative solutions. There may be several proprietary methods of fire-stopping the same penetration.
• Each solution will have a different set of installation rules to be followed to create an effective seal. They will depend upon:
• The type of partition (dry wall, concrete, brick, etc)
• The depth and size of the hole
• The type and number of services going through the hole (pipes, cables, etc)
• Whether it is likely the services carried through the hole are changed on a regular basis.
• Resist the temptation to use fire-stopping products from different manufacturers on the same fire-stopping penetration. The chances are they will work to together to achieve the desired fire-resistance outcome. You will unlikely to be in a position, however, to prove they are a viable combination if called upon to do so. Manufacturers spend a small fortune on fire-testing their products because they have a legal obligation to support their claims of efficacy.
• Always record details of where, when, who, what materials, and the method used to carry out a fire-stopping job. The need to record and supply such information as part of the Golden Thread for high-rise residential buildings is already embodied in law. The revised fire regulations now places extra duties of care on the responsible persons to manage and record the fire-safety maintenance of the properties they are in control of. Mandatory recording of all fire-stopping work will become the norm sooner, rather than later.
• Those that carry out fire-stopping must be able to prove their competency to carry out such work. There is a growing acceptance in the built environment that competency will be recognised by contractors and individuals gaining regulated qualifications in specialised fields that are renewed either every year, or no more than every five years.

Fire-Stopping Training.

As an adviser, we have singularly failed in recent years to find a credible competency qualification for fire-stopping. Most fire safety training courses we have attended, only addressed the reason why fire-stopping is necessary, and showed us pretty pictures of the desired (and impossibly neat) end results, without explaining the practical method of achieving them.

We of course knew what methods that should be used. We recognised the overriding priority was to carry out such work in strict accordance with the manufacturers' guidance. But self-certifying competency was not the objective.

We start with a list of just one organisation we can recommend that offers an excellent course on the practical methodologies of fire-stopping for those seeking a credible, third-party competency qualification in this subject.

• ASFP: Fire Stopping for Installers Course [For ASFP members only].
  
  The ASFP have created an on-line, interactive training programme that covers in great detail the various different methods that can be used to fire-stop a comprehensive range of different scenarios. The accompanying videos start with an empty hole in the wall and takes the viewer through each step to complete an effective fire seal. The ASFP have the unusual distinction of being named in the current Approved Document B as an expert on fire-safety matters. An accolade indeed, that should give anyone confidence in the instructive quality and range of content of this course, which we can confirm is exceptional high. We have also exhaustively tested the training course's inbuilt learning-testing system that frequently and intelligently asserts itself at sensible intervals to challenge the viewer's understanding and retention of the subject matter imparted as one progresses through the course to the end-point assessment. Too many on-line courses allow you to cheat by going straight to the end-point assessment and pass without undertaking the course itself. That won't happen here. The only downside is the ASFP do not offer the course in a way that meets the renewable and regulated aspects of how many agencies in the built environment envisage proof of operator or organisational competency being demonstrated in future.

We invite any other training organisation that feel they offer a fire-stopping course worthy of mention here. Please use our contact details to open a dialog. We neither charge to review or list a course here. Our objective is to inform visitors to this site of what relevant courses are out there.

Ethical disclosure: We will not recommend any third-party proprietary services or product on this web site where this firm, or any member of this firm, directly or indirectly, benefits from any kind of financial, or in-kind, incentive to promote it. The one exception is our reviewers are not charged for the courses we review and recommend.