Compartmentation, to use its official definition, is the act of dividing something into separate sections or units.
In the context of fire safety, this means dividing a building into small, fire-resistant sections. Doing so limits the spread of fire and smoke, and subsequently minimises fire damage to a building.
But where does a fire compartmentation survey come into the equation, and how does it tie in with the above points?
Our article explains what a fire compartmentation survey is, why you need one, and how you can get one for your building to keep it fire-safe.
In this article
What is fire compartmentation?
What is a fire compartmentation survey?
What does a fire compartmentation survey include?
Why is a fire compartmentation survey important?
How can I get a fire compartmentation survey for my building?
What is fire compartmentation?
We gave a snapshot answer to this question in the intro, but in this section we’ll explore fire compartmentation in more detail.
First, let’s start by addressing what a fire compartment is.
Fire Safety: Approved Document B defines a fire compartment as:
“A building or part of a building comprising one or more rooms, spaces or storeys constructed to prevent the spread of fire to or from another part of the same building or an adjoining building.”
In other words, a fire compartment is any space within a building that’s enclosed by fire barriers, such as fire-resistant walls, floors, doors, and ceilings.
Fire compartments and other fire barriers must be designed, built, and maintained properly to be effective in the event of fire.
If you follow the above measures and have fire compartments within your building, you’re increasing its fire resistance.
Fire compartmentation is designed to contain a fire within a specific section of a building for a certain period of time, which is usually between 30 and 120 minutes. This period of time allows for the safe evacuation of residents (or users, depending on the building’s designed purpose).
Furthermore, dividing a building with fire compartmentation helps to protect escape routes and allows enough time for the fire to “burn out” and not spread any further. This aids firefighting efforts by making the fire easier to control.
In summary, fire compartmentation is vital for the safety of residents and the protection of property.
What is a fire compartmentation survey?
A fire compartmentation survey is a detailed assessment of a building’s ability to contain the spread of smoke and fire. In the simplest terms, it’s an assessment of a building’s compartmentation.
As well as assessing a building’s ability to contain the spread of smoke and fire, a fire compartmentation survey will look at how well a building protects fire escapes. It will also provide a general assessment on the subdivision of the property.
Fire compartmentation surveys are normally only required in a small number of circumstances. For example, if serious defects are found after a fire risk assessment in common parts and inside apartments, the assessor may recommend for the building’s Responsible Person to commission a compartmentation survey to delve deeper into the building’s issues.
Under Article 3 of the FSO, A Responsible Person can be:
- An employer — either an individual or a company with control (to any extent) of a building that is a workplace.
- A person in control of the premises
- The owner
A compartmentation survey can also be undertaken if a fire risk assessment highlights issues with a building’s compartmentation, especially in areas that aren’t always obvious or easy to reach, such as:
- Ceilings
- Under floors
- Risers
- Roof voids
- Service cupboards
It’s reasonable to think that these areas could compromise fire compartmentation due to the high potential risk of fire ignition and spread attached to them.
A fire compartmentation survey will review the condition of the fire-resisting construction in these areas and assess their capability to contain the spread of fire and smoke.
What does a fire compartmentation survey include?
As we alluded to in the previous section, a fire compartmentation survey includes checks of various areas within a building.
It can also entail a list of recommendations and required actions to bring the building’s fire safety up to standard, if the client requests this.
Here’s what else a fire compartmentation survey includes:
- An assessment of the current compartmentation strategy for the building.
- A comprehensive visual inspection of existing fire compartmentation provisions, including floors, walls, roof voids, basements, floor and ceiling voids, risers and shafts (as covered above).
- An assessment of the condition of compartmentation and any defects in accordance with British Standards, Approved Document B (which we linked to in the section titled ‘What is fire compartmentation?’) along with any site-specific fire strategy information.
- Detailed mark-ups of existing floor plans, indicating the locations of compartment walls and floors.
- A fire stopping survey to identify individual breaches in compartmentation.
- A fire door survey to identify any defects with existing fire doors.
Why is a fire compartmentation survey important?
To summarise everything we’ve covered so far, a fire compartmentation survey is important because it:
- Ensures optimal fire risk management within a building.
- Helps to minimise the potential damage caused by fire.
- Identifies weaknesses in fire barriers.
- Ensures compliance with UK fire safety regulations and building standards, reducing legal and safety risks.
- Helps protect a building’s occupants and/or users.
We could go on, but these reasons alone are surely compelling enough to get a fire compartmentation survey carried out at your premises.
How can I get a fire compartmentation survey for my building?
A fire compartmentation survey should only be conducted by competent individuals.
By this, we mean people who possess the necessary qualifications, skills, experience, knowledge of building construction and materials, and understanding of regulatory requirements to perform such a role.
That’s where we come in.
Specialist fire compartmentation surveys from North West Fire Solutions
If you require a fire compartmentation survey on your building, look no further.
Backed by decades of experience in fire safety and building construction, North West Fire Solutions provides fire compartmentation surveys to clients across the UK.
Our fire engineers are experts in identifying and applying fire compartmentation requirements in buildings, as per the approved British Standards.
Make your building fire-safe and gain complete peace of mind by getting in touch with us today on 0151 665 0124.