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Fire Compartmentation Surveys
Every time someone drills through a wall in your building, your passive fire protection is at risk. Do you know what state it is in?
Specialist fire compartmentation surveys for businesses, landlords and property managers across Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and London.
Fire Compartmentation Surveys
The Problem With Passive Fire Protection
Passive fire protection does not come with a warning light.
There is no alarm when a contractor cuts through a fire-resisting wall to run a new cable.
No error message when the plumber leaves a gap around the pipework.
No notification when the IT team pull cables through a ceiling void and nobody reinstates the fire stopping afterwards.
It just fails. Silently. And it stays failed until someone who knows what they are looking for goes in and checks.
That is the problem 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 compartment is designed to contain fire and smoke within its boundaries long enough for occupants to escape and for the fire and rescue service to intervene.
It is the foundation on which almost every fire safety strategy in a residential or commercial building is built.
In a block of flats, the stay put evacuation strategy depends entirely on compartmentation working as it should. If it fails, fire and smoke spread from the flat of origin into communal corridors and stairwells, putting every occupant at risk.
In a commercial building, effective compartmentation limits fire spread between floors and zones, protecting people in unaffected areas and limiting structural damage.
In a hospital or care home, compartmentation gives staff the time they need to move patients to safety.
In every building, compartmentation directly affects the margin between the time occupants have to escape and the time it actually takes them. 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. Most building owners and managers do not know the extent of those deficiencies until a detailed survey is carried out.
The reasons are straightforward.
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 inspected or maintained.
Think about what happens in a typical building over ten or fifteen years.
The IT team runs new network cables.
Facilities upgrades the HVAC system.
A new boiler is installed and the pipework is rerouted.
The kitchen is refurbished.
Each one of those programmes of work creates new penetrations through fire-resisting elements. Each one has the potential to compromise the compartmentation of the building, and each one requires proper fire stopping and inspection to ensure it has not.
In reality, that almost never happens consistently. The result is a building whose passive fire protection has been quietly undermined, layer by layer, with nobody keeping track and nobody checking.
In older buildings, fire-resisting elements may have degraded through age and wear. Cavity barriers may have shifted, deteriorated or been removed without replacement.
In buildings converted from one use to another, the compartmentation may never have met current requirements and deficiencies may have persisted undetected for decades.
What a Fire Compartmentation Survey Involves
A compartmentation survey carried out by ESI Fire Safety is a systematic, methodical inspection of all fire-resisting elements throughout the building, working floor by floor and zone by zone.
We look at every fire-resisting wall and floor for evidence of damage, penetration or inadequate reinstatement of previous works.
Every service penetration is identified and assessed to check that appropriate fire stopping has been applied, that it is in good condition and that it is the correct specification for the penetrating service.
Cavity barriers are assessed where accessible.
Fire doors are inspected in accordance with BS 8214.
Ceiling voids and roof spaces are checked where accessible.
Junctions between building elements, around window and door openings and at interfaces between walls, floors and ceilings are assessed for fire stopping integrity.
Where intrusive investigation is needed to establish the true condition of concealed elements, this is agreed with you in advance and reinstated properly after the inspection.
What the Survey Report Includes
Following the survey you receive a comprehensive written report that provides a complete record of the findings and a clear, prioritised action plan.
The report documents each deficiency with its precise location in the building, a description of the nature and severity of the defect, photographic evidence, a risk rating reflecting its significance, and a recommendation for the remedial action required.
Deficiencies are prioritised so you can see clearly which issues need immediate attention and which can be addressed within a planned programme of works. A summary schedule of all deficiencies and recommended actions gives you a practical basis for planning and procuring remedial works.
Where the survey identifies deficiencies that affect the building’s fire risk assessment or evacuation strategy, these are flagged and recommendations are made for updating the relevant documentation.
Who Needs a Fire Compartmentation Survey?
A compartmentation survey is relevant across a wide range of building types and situations.
Responsible Persons and building managers need a compartmentation survey to demonstrate compliance with the duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to maintain fire safety measures in efficient working order and good repair.
Those managing blocks of flats and multi-occupied residential buildings should note that the Fire Safety Act 2021 extended the Responsible Person’s duties to include the structure and external walls of the building, making a detailed understanding of compartmentation condition essential.
For higher-risk buildings within the scope of the Building Safety Act 2022, a compartmentation survey is an essential part of the evidence base for the safety case report the Principal Accountable Person is required to produce and maintain.
HMO landlords need to be aware that adequate compartmentation is a fundamental requirement of both the RRO and the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation Regulations 2006, and a compartmentation survey supports compliance with both.
Buildings that have undergone significant refurbishment or change of use, or that have a history of ongoing maintenance and service works, are particularly likely to have accumulated compartmentation deficiencies that require investigation.
The Relationship Between Compartmentation Surveys and Fire Risk Assessments
A compartmentation survey and a fire risk assessment are complementary exercises that together provide a comprehensive picture of a building’s fire safety.
The fire risk assessment covers the overall assessment of fire hazards, risks and control measures, including compartmentation at the level of detail appropriate for a general fire safety inspection.
Where the assessor identifies concerns about passive fire protection or recommends a more detailed investigation, the compartmentation survey provides the detailed evidence needed to understand the nature and extent of any deficiencies.
The findings of the survey then feed back into the fire risk assessment, ensuring the overall fire safety picture accurately reflects the condition of the passive fire protection.
For complex buildings, buildings with a history of modification and refurbishment, and higher-risk buildings, carrying out both together is strongly advisable and in some cases essential.
Get Your Compartmentation Survey Booked Today
Your passive fire protection may be failing right now and you would not know it.
If your building has had any maintenance, refurbishment or service works carried out in the last few years and a compartmentation survey has not been done, there is a very good chance that deficiencies have accumulated. They may be minor. They may be significant. You will not know until someone checks.
We carry out fire compartmentation surveys for businesses, landlords and property managers across Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and London. Get in touch and we will tell you exactly where you stand.
Call 01276 300 351
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.
Speak to Jamie about your compartmentation survey
Most of the businesses and landlords we work with come to us feeling unsure about where they stand with passive fire protection.
That is exactly what we are here for. Tell us about your building and your situation and we will get back to you within 24 hours.
📞 Prefer to speak to us directly? Call us at 01276 300 351
📧 Or email us at office@esifiresafety.co.uk
We aim to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.
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.
