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Fire Compartmentation Surveys
Passive Fire Protection Only Works If It Is Intact.
Years of maintenance works, service installations, and refurbishments leave most buildings with compartmentation deficiencies that have never been identified.
Our surveys find them, document them, and tell you exactly what needs to be done.
Fire Compartmentation Surveys
The Problem With Passive Fire Protection
Passive fire protection does not announce when it has failed.
There are no warning lights, no error messages, and no obvious signs that the fire-resisting integrity of your building has been compromised.
The unsealed cable penetration above the ceiling tile, the gap around the pipework passing through the fire-resisting wall, the cavity barrier that was never reinstated after the last refurbishment — none of these are visible during a routine inspection.
But in a fire, each one is a pathway for flames and smoke to travel through your building unchecked, bypassing the compartmentation strategy that everything else depends on.
This is the problem that a compartmentation survey is designed to solve.
What is Compartmentation and Why Does it Matter?
Compartmentation is the system of fire-resisting walls, floors, ceilings, and doors that divides a building into separate fire compartments, each designed to contain fire and smoke within its boundaries long enough for occupants to escape safely and for the fire and rescue service to intervene.
It is the foundation on which many of the most critical fire safety strategies in residential and commercial buildings are built.
In a purpose-built block of flats, the stay put evacuation strategy is entirely dependent on the effectiveness of the compartmentation.
If the compartmentation fails, fire and smoke spread from the flat of origin into communal corridors and stairwells, compromising the escape routes and putting every occupant in the building at risk.
In a commercial building, effective compartmentation limits the spread of fire between floors and zones, protecting occupants in unaffected areas and limiting structural damage.
In a hospital or care home, compartmentation provides the time needed for staff to move patients to safety using a progressive horizontal evacuation strategy.
In every type of building, the effectiveness of the compartmentation directly influences the safety margin between the time available for occupants to escape and the time it actually takes them to do so.
Compromised compartmentation erodes that margin.
In the worst cases, it eliminates it entirely.
Why Most Buildings Have Compartmentation Defects
Most buildings accumulate compartmentation deficiencies over time, and most building owners and managers are unaware of the extent of those deficiencies until a detailed survey is carried out.
The reasons are well understood.
Every time a pipe, cable, duct, or conduit is installed through a fire-resisting wall or floor, it creates a potential pathway for fire and smoke unless it is properly fire-stopped at the time of installation.
In many buildings, fire-stopping is either not applied at all, applied using incorrect materials, or applied to a standard that deteriorates over time and is never subsequently inspected or maintained.
Every programme of refurbishment, maintenance, or service upgrade creates new penetrations and disturbs existing fire-resisting elements.
Without adequate supervision and inspection of reinstatement works, the cumulative effect of multiple programmes of works over the years can be a building whose compartmentation has been comprehensively undermined, with no one aware that this has happened.
In older buildings, fire-resisting elements may have degraded through age and wear, and cavity barriers that were originally present may have shifted, deteriorated, or been removed without replacement.
And in buildings that have been converted from one use to another, or that predate modern fire safety standards, the compartmentation may never have met current requirements and may have significant inherent deficiencies that have persisted undetected for decades.
What a Fire Compartmentation Survey Involves
Our compartmentation surveys are carried out by qualified and experienced fire safety professionals with specialist knowledge of passive fire protection systems and the relevant British Standards and guidance documents.
The survey involves a systematic, methodical inspection of all fire-resisting elements throughout the building, working floor by floor and zone by zone to ensure that nothing is missed.
Each fire-resisting wall and floor is inspected for evidence of damage, penetration, or inadequate reinstatement of previous works.
Service penetrations through fire-resisting elements are identified and assessed, checking that appropriate fire-stopping has been applied and that it is in good condition and of the correct specification for the penetrating service.
Cavity barriers in wall and floor cavities are assessed where accessible, checking their presence, condition, and compliance with the requirements of Approved Document B and the relevant British Standards.
Fire doors are inspected as part of the survey, assessing the condition of the door leaf, frame, seals, self-closing device, ironmongery, and glazing, and checking gap tolerances and signage in accordance with BS 8214:2016.
Ceiling voids and roof spaces are inspected where accessible, assessing the compartmentation of these concealed spaces and the presence and condition of any cavity barriers.
The interface between different building elements, including junctions between walls and floors, walls and ceilings, and around window and door openings, is assessed for fire-stopping integrity.
Where intrusive investigation is required to establish the true condition of concealed elements, this is carried out with the agreement of the building owner or manager and reinstated to an appropriate standard following the inspection.
What the Survey Report Includes
Following the survey, we produce a comprehensive written report that provides a complete record of the findings and a clear, prioritised action plan for addressing any deficiencies identified.
The report includes a description of the building, its construction, and its compartmentation strategy, providing the context needed to understand the significance of the findings.
Each deficiency is documented with its precise location within the building, a description of the nature and severity of the deficiency, photographic evidence, a risk rating reflecting its significance and its impact on the overall compartmentation, and a recommendation for the remedial action required.
Deficiencies are prioritised to help you understand which issues require immediate attention and which can be addressed within a planned programme of works.
A summary schedule of all deficiencies and recommended actions provides a clear and accessible overview of the works required and a practical basis for planning and procuring remedial works.
Where the survey identifies deficiencies that have implications for the building’s fire risk assessment or evacuation strategy, these are highlighted and recommendations are made for reviewing and updating the relevant documentation.
Who Needs a Fire Compartmentation Survey?
A compartmentation survey is relevant for a wide range of building types and situations.
For responsible persons and building managers, a compartmentation survey provides the detailed, evidenced record of the compartmentation condition needed to demonstrate compliance with the duty under Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) to maintain fire safety measures in an efficient state, in efficient working order, and in good repair.
For those managing blocks of flats and other multi-occupied residential buildings, the Fire Safety Act 2021 (c.24) explicitly extended the scope of the Responsible Person’s duties to include the structure and external walls of the building, making a detailed understanding of the compartmentation condition an essential part of the fire safety management of the building.
For higher-risk buildings within the scope of the Building Safety Act 2022 (c.30), a compartmentation survey is an essential component of the evidence base for the safety case report that the Principal Accountable Person is required to produce and maintain under Section 88 of the Act.
For HMO landlords, adequate compartmentation is a fundamental requirement of both the RRO and the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/372), and a compartmentation survey supports compliance with both regimes and with the conditions of the HMO licence.
For buildings that have undergone significant refurbishment or change of use, a compartmentation survey provides an essential assessment of the current condition of the passive fire protection and identifies any deficiencies arising from the works.
And for buildings with a history of ongoing maintenance and service works, a compartmentation survey can identify the cumulative effect of multiple penetrations and reinstatements on the overall integrity of the compartmentation.
The Relationship Between Compartmentation Surveys and Fire Risk Assessments
A compartmentation survey and a fire risk assessment are complementary exercises that should be used together to provide a comprehensive picture of the fire safety of a building.
The fire risk assessment provides the overall assessment of fire hazards, risks, and control measures, including an assessment of the compartmentation at the level of detail appropriate for a general fire safety inspection.
Where the fire risk assessment identifies concerns about the compartmentation, or where the assessor recommends a more detailed investigation of the passive fire protection, a compartmentation survey provides the detailed assessment needed to fully understand the nature and extent of any deficiencies.
The findings of the compartmentation survey then feed back into the fire risk assessment, ensuring that the overall fire safety picture for the building accurately reflects the condition of its passive fire protection.
For complex buildings, buildings with a history of modification or refurbishment, and higher-risk buildings where the safety case requires detailed documentation of the passive fire protection, a compartmentation survey alongside the fire risk assessment is strongly advisable and in some cases essential.
Get Your Compartmentation Survey Booked Today
Serving businesses and facilities managers across Surrey and the South East.
Call us today on 01276 300 351 or complete the form below and we’ll be in touch within 24 hours.
Don't Wait for a Fire
to Discover Your Compartmentation
Has Failed
Every unsealed penetration, every compromised fire-resisting wall, every degraded cavity barrier is a pathway for fire and smoke to travel through your building unchecked.
A compartmentation survey from ESI: Fire Safety gives you a detailed, evidenced picture of your building’s passive fire protection, the confidence that your legal obligations are being met, and a clear action plan for addressing any deficiencies before they become a tragedy.
Serving building owners, managing agents, freeholders, and responsible persons across the South East and London.
Need help with a Compartmentation Survey? Get in Touch Today
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what to expect from a compartmentation survey?
Here are the answers to the questions we hear most often from building owners, managing agents, and responsible persons.
How long does a compartmentation survey take?
A straightforward residential block may be completed in a single day, while a large or complex building may require several days of inspection.
We will provide an estimate of the likely duration as part of our initial assessment of your building and requirements.
How intrusive is the survey?
Where intrusive investigation is necessary to assess concealed elements, we will discuss the scope and extent with you in advance and ensure that any openings made are reinstated to an appropriate standard following the inspection.
Will the survey disrupt residents or occupants?
Where access to individual flats is required, we will provide appropriate notice and work with the managing agent to arrange access.
How often should a compartmentation survey be carried out?
The fire risk assessment should be reviewed following each compartmentation survey to ensure that it reflects the current condition of the passive fire protection.
Can you carry out remedial works as well as the survey?
We can also recommend suitably qualified and accredited passive fire protection contractors where required.
