Safer by Design: Why Passive Fire Protection Should Be a Priority in Every Building

1 November 2025

Safer by Design: Why Passive Fire Protection Should Be a Priority in Every Building

For managers — whether running a compact retail outlet, a handful of serviced offices, or a multi‑storey corporate estate — a fire safety focus is both a moral and commercial imperative. Active systems such as alarms and sprinklers are visible, reassuring and often the first items on a budget list, but they are only one part of a building’s defences.

Passive fire protection (PFP) sits quietly in the fabric of a building, working 24/7 to contain fire, protect escape routes and preserve structural integrity without human input. For managers tasked with protecting people, assets and continuity of service, PFP is the insurance you build into the walls. Getting it right reduces risk to staff and customers, lowers insurance and remediation costs after an incident, and simplifies regulatory compliance — whether you manage a single shop or a portfolio of commercial buildings.

What is passive fire protection and why it matters for managers

Passive fire protection refers to the permanent measures built into a building to resist the spread of fire and smoke. Unlike active systems (such as sprinklers or fire alarms) , which depend on detection and activation, PFP functions continuously through the choice of materials, construction detailing and compartmentation strategy. Its objectives are to contain a fire to its origin, slow the spread of heat and smoke, preserve structural stability for a set period, and protect routes for evacuation and emergency access.

For managers, the practical advantages are clear: PFP gives staff and customers time to evacuate safely; it provides firefighters with contained zones to tackle an incident; and it reduces downtime and cost after a fire. Crucially, when PFP elements are compromised — through poor installation, ad‑hoc alterations or lack of maintenance — even a small ignition can become a major incident. Managers must therefore treat PFP as an operational asset that requires the same governance as IT, HR or financial controls.

The anatomy of a safe building: materials, layout and compartmentation

A well‑designed PFP strategy is layered and integrated across the building. Structural steel is commonly protected with intumescent coatings or encasement so that its loadbearing capacity endures for the period required by design. Compartmentation divides the building into zones — rooms, corridors, stairwells and service risers — capable of containing fire for a specified time to allow evacuation and firefighting activity. Services such as cable trays, ductwork and pipework must cross these compartment lines only through correctly detailed firestopping systems to maintain barrier continuity.

Managers need to be familiar with these basic elements because choices made in procurement, refurbishment and day‑to‑day operations influence the whole system. For example, a refurb where new data cabling is routed through a floor void without proper firestopping can inadvertently create a chimney for smoke and flame. Similarly, changing an internal layout to create an additional kitchenette or storage area without updating compartmentation or specifying non‑combustible finishes can increase spread risk. Effective management means planning changes through a PFP lens, documenting them, and ensuring competent installers and supervisors deliver the work.

Compliance, duty of care and practical risk management

UK regulation places clear duties on building owners and responsible persons to manage both active and passive fire safety. For managers this translates into a requirement to keep PFP features effective and demonstrable through records: regular fire‑risk assessments, documented inspections, and timely remedial action when defects are found. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and other statutory guidance emphasise the responsibilities for inspection and maintenance of elements such as fire doors in multi‑occupied residential and certain commercial premises.

Practically, managers should build an inspection and maintenance schedule based on building use, occupancy and identified risks. This schedule must be recorded and integrated into broader facilities management. Where external contractors are used, insist on third‑party certification and written evidence of competence. In short, compliance is not only about avoiding penalties; it is about protecting people, preventing costly remediation and preserving reputation.

The quiet heroes of containment — fire doors and compartmentation

Fire doors are a compelling example of PFP’s importance and of common operational failings. Proper, certified fire doors, correctly specified, installed and maintained, holds back flames and smoke for its rated period, protects escape routes and preserves compartments. Yet fire doors are often the weakest link in practice: their performance is undermined by wedges left in place, ill‑fitting replacements, missing intumescent seals or doors that have been damaged and not repaired.

Managers should ensure that fire doors are treated as safety equipment rather than generic joinery. A properly maintained fire door will have the correct door leaf and frame, fitted intumescent and smoke seals, a working self‑closer, and no unauthorised alterations such as letterplates or excessive gap sizes. Door checks should be part of routine inspections, and any defects recorded and remedied promptly by competent personnel.

Maintenance, inspection and operational control

Keeping PFP effective is primarily an operational task. A planned maintenance regime prevents hidden defects from making passive measures ineffective.

• Establish a clear inspection cadence proportionate to risk. For many workplaces and residential premises this will include quarterly visual checks of doors and seals, and annual or biennial technical surveys of compartmentation and firestopping.

• Record findings and close the loop on remedial work. Temporary repairs are rarely sufficient to restore original performance; permanent fixes by certified contractors are usually required.

• Ensure change control for any work that could affect compartment lines. Refurbishment, new service routes and ad‑hoc contractor activity should be authorised only after PFP implications are reviewed and documented.

Embedding these controls into procurement and site operations avoids the scenario where an innocuous maintenance job renders a compartment ineffective. Training front‑line estates or site staff to recognise and report changes is a high‑value, low‑cost measure managers can implement quickly.

Design integration, procurement and the cost of retrofitting

PFP is cheaper and more reliable when designed in from the start. Early collaboration between architects, structural and services engineers, fire engineers and the client yields a coherent PFP strategy that is documented in drawings and specifications. Where PFP is retrofitted, costs and complexity rise and the certainty of performance can fall.

Managers should specify performance requirements rather than brand names, require test evidence and third‑party certification, and set clear expectations for site supervision and handover documentation. Tender evaluations should weigh proven competence and documented track records heavily; the cheapest contractor is rarely the best value where building safety is concerned.

Common failings and how managers can prevent them

Typical real‑world failures include unsealed penetrations after cable or pipe installation, fire doors propped open for convenience, combustible finishes in escape routes, and service risers that lack appropriate compartmentation. To prevent these:

1. Implement robust change control for any work affecting compartmentation and include PFP sign‑off in project close‑out.
2. Make fire doors and PFP features visible in snagging and handover documents, with photographic records and maintenance schedules.
3. Train staff so day‑to‑day decisions do not undermine safety and ensure that contractors are briefed and supervised on PFP requirements.

These steps turn PFP from a compliance box to a managed asset that reduces business interruption and protects people.

Resources for managers

Authoritative guidance and industry bodies provide practical tools and technical detail that are useful to managers:

• Government guidance on fire doors and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations provides statutory requirements and practical advice.

• The Fire Protection Association offers guidance on compartmentation, inspection and best practice.

• Specialist trade bodies and certification schemes provide technical documents and competence frameworks for installers and inspectors.

Use these sources to inform procurement, training and inspection regimes so that PFP is deliverable, auditable and effective.

Final thoughts

Passive fire protection is the unsung backbone of building safety. For managers in small businesses and those overseeing large estates alike, treating PFP as an operational priority delivers clear returns: safer premises, lower recovery costs after incidents, and more straightforward regulatory compliance. Make PFP part of procurement specifications, site supervision, maintenance schedules and staff training. Those actions turn the quiet protections in a building into visible, reliable safeguards for people, operations and reputation.

References

• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 fact sheet Fire doors regulation 10 — GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-england-regulations-2022/fact-sheet-fire-doors-regulation-10

• What is fire compartmentation? — Fire Protection Association https://www.thefpa.co.uk/advice-and-guidance/advice-and-guidance-articles/what-is-fire-compartmentation-

• Fire Resisting Separation guidance including fire doors and self-closing devices — London Fire Brigade https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/media/7170/gn_92_lf_format.pdf

• BWF Fire Door Alliance — third-party certification and guidance https://firedoors.bwf.org.uk/

• ASFP Technical Documents and Guidance for passive fire protection — Association for Specialist Fire Protection https://asfp.org.uk/page/ASFPTechnicalDocuments

• Approved Document B: Fire safety — Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-approved-document-b

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