Quality assurance and documentation
We quality assure all fire seals through thorough inspection and detailed photo documentation that shows both the work process, the materials used and the finished result.
Fire protection rules in the building regulations
When it comes to building safety, passive fire protection is a topic that deserves special attention. The Building Regulations (also known as BR18) therefore have a large number of clauses that describe the rules for fire protection in detail. We’ve gathered the most important sections to make it easy to understand what they say about passive fire protection and why it’s so important.
At BS Brandsikring, we are experts in passive fire protection and offer help for companies to comply with all fire-related clauses in the BR18 building regulations. Contact us for a no-obligation chat about how we can help.
Fire safety (§ 82 – § 83)
These sections of BR18 emphasize the need to design and construct buildings in a way that minimizes fire risk and ensures safe evacuation. Passive fire protection contributes significantly to this by preventing or delaying the spread of fire, giving occupants more time to evacuate and emergency personnel better conditions to extinguish the fire.
Securing the above can be done in a number of different ways, including
Easier, safer and more efficient fire protection through technology for modern buildings
Use of Materials, Structures and Building Elements (§ 87)
This focuses on the choice of materials and construction techniques. Fire-retardant materials and fire-resistant construction are essential to reduce the intensity and spread of fire, increasing the chance of not only saving lives, but also the chance of rescuing any important equipment from the building before the fire takes hold.
Fire resistance of load-bearing structures (§ 99 – 103)
These clauses emphasize the importance of the building’s load-bearing structures being able to resist fire over a certain period of time. This is essential to prevent building collapse, which can have catastrophic consequences. These clauses also help to emphasize the importance of ensuring that there is no damage to other buildings on your own or nearby property.
Ignition and spread of fire and smoke (§ 104 – § 119)
Passive fire protection plays a key role in limiting the spread of fire and smoke within a building. This is achieved through design and construction that controls the movement of fire and ensures that smoke cannot infiltrate key escape routes or occupied areas. Similarly, the spread of fire should be limited as much as possible, both to buildings on the same and different sites.
Emergency response options (§ 126 – § 133)
Passive fire protection supports emergency response by ensuring that the building remains structurally intact long enough for rescue operations to be carried out safely. Similarly, proper fire protection helps ensure that the necessary extinguishing work to put out the fire can be carried out.
In construction, it must be ensured that:
- The emergency services can reach the building unhindered
- The necessary equipment for rescuing people and extinguishing the fire can be transported inside and outside the building
- Proper rescue and extinguishing operations can be carried out in the building
Operation, Control and Maintenance (§ 137 – § 146)
Regular maintenance and inspection of passive fire protection is essential to ensure that these systems remain effective over time. It is the responsibility of the building owner – or a person appointed to be the operator – to ensure that regular operation, maintenance and control of the building’s passive fire protection is carried out.
It is also a legal requirement in the Building Regulations that an annual fire inspection of the building’s passive fire protection is carried out and documented to ensure compliance with these clauses.
