FIR/General/TBT-FIR-019

Fire Door and Compartmentation

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Fire compartmentation divides buildings into fire-resistant zones that contain fire and smoke spread.
Fire doors are rated by their resistance time — FD30 (30 minutes) and FD60 (60 minutes) are most common.
Propping fire doors open during construction defeats their purpose and allows fire to spread unchecked.
Penetrations through fire-rated walls and floors for cables, pipes, and ducts must be fire stopped to maintain the rating.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire compartmentation to be maintained at all times.
Intumescent strips and cold smoke seals on fire doors must be intact and correctly fitted to function.
Missing or damaged fire stopping around service penetrations is one of the most common defects found on sites.
Fire doors must be self-closing and must not be wedged, propped, or tied open during construction.
BS 476, BS EN 1634, and BS 8214 set the UK standards for fire door performance and installation.
Third-party certification schemes such as BM TRADA and Certifire verify fire door and fire stopping products.

Contain fire spread	Fire compartmentation saves lives by containing fire and smoke, giving occupants time to escape safely.
Legal requirement	The Fire Safety Order 2005 and Building Regulations Approved Document B require maintained fire compartmentation.
Construction fire risk	Sites with incomplete compartmentation and propped fire doors have suffered devastating fires causing fatalities.

Don't

Keep fire doors closed at all times — use hold-open devices connected to the fire alarm only
Fire stop all penetrations through fire-rated walls and floors using certified products
Check fire doors for correct operation, self-closing function, and intact intumescent strips
Use third-party certified fire stopping products installed by trained operatives only
Inspect compartmentation and fire doors daily during construction and refurbishment works
Maintain fire escape routes through compartmented zones throughout all construction phases
Replace damaged fire doors with like-for-like rated replacements — do not repair informally
Record all fire stopping installations with photographs and certification for the fire safety file
Brief all trades that penetrating fire-rated elements requires follow-up fire stopping
Coordinate fire stopping with M&E trades who create the most penetrations through fire walls

DON'T prop, wedge, or tie fire doors open during construction or refurbishment work
DON'T penetrate fire-rated walls or floors without a plan to fire stop the opening afterwards
DON'T use non-certified products or materials for fire stopping penetrations and joints
DON'T remove intumescent strips or cold smoke seals from fire doors during installation
DON'T leave fire stopping incomplete at the end of a shift — seal all penetrations daily
DON'T assume one trade will fire stop another trade's penetrations without coordination
DON'T modify fire doors by trimming, planing, or adding non-rated hardware without guidance
DON'T ignore damaged fire doors — a compromised door fails to contain fire as designed
DON'T store combustible materials in fire escape routes or against fire compartment walls
DON'T treat fire stopping as a snagging item — it must be installed progressively with the work

See also: Fire Safety Awareness on Site | Fire Stopping Installation

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