Caution – Why you are seeing this Fire Wall Label
The fire wall labelling initiative aims to provide instant guidance on what to do when considering whether and how to pass cables and pipes through the compartment (fire wall) that has been identified.
A big challenge facing M&E contractors who are employed to pass services through a building, is that they may not be aware that the partitions they need to pass through are fire rated, and any holes cut into them will negate the performance of the partition. This may allow smoke fumes and fire to pass through from one compartment to another, which could lead to loss of life, extensive damage to the building.
The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), Finishes and Interior Sector (FIS) and the Gypsum Products Development Association (GPDA) have joined forces to warn of the dangers of passing cables and pipes through compartmentation walls.
BEFORE YOU DO ANY WORK ON THIS COMPARTMENT WALL (FIRE WALL)
STOP
This is a fire wall, it forms a compartment to stop the spread of fire for a period to allow the occupants to safely escape in the case of a fire. Any holes in the fire wall will allow fire and smoke to spread beyond it and may result in the loss of life.
THINK
To ensure that the fire wall’s performance can be maintained, the position, size and construction of any opening should be designed in accordance with the fire wall manufacturer’s details, otherwise the warranty on the wall will be voided.
PLAN
Understand the construction of the fire wall (from the O&M manual), the size, position and construction of the service penetration (the opening), the services being passed through the penetration and the fire stopping proposed to seal the penetration.
CHECK
That the design of the penetration is compliant with the FireWall Manufacturer’s details
That the proposed firestopping is third party certified and applicable to the size and type of opening and the services passing through the opening.
That the person designing the opening and specifying the firestopping is competent
That the person constructing the service opening is competent
That the person installing the fire stopping is third party certified
RECORD
Ensure that:
– The new service runs are recorded on the asset register for the building.
– The service opening is photographed and added to the asset register.
– The fire stopped opening is photographed at every stage of the installation process.
– The final sealed penetration should be labelled with a traceable ID from which records can be found.
BEFORE YOU DO ANY WORK ON THIS COMPARTMENT WALL (FIRE WALL)
STOP
THINK
PLAN
CHECK
That the proposed firestopping is third party certified and applicable to the size and type of opening and the services passing through the opening.
That the person designing the opening and specifying the firestopping is competent
That the person constructing the service opening is competent
That the person installing the fire stopping is third party certified
RECORD
- The new service runs are recorded on the asset register for the building.
- The service opening is photographed and added to the asset register.
- The fire stopped opening is photographed at every stage of the installation process.
- The final sealed penetration should be labelled with a traceable ID from which records can be found.
Where to go for further Guidance
The publication and corresponding training course is designed help you to learn more about fire stopping. During this course, you will learn about the design process for the selection of fire stopping of service penetrations, how to apply the nine golden rules, understand the importance of early engagement, as well as the terms and definitions used and the key questions to ask to ensure a compliant installation of fire stopping.
Further Reading / Training
Why we need to start labelling fire walls
One of the biggest issues facing M&E contractors (employed to pass services through a building) is that they may not be aware that the partitions they need to pass through are fire rated. Any holes cut into these walls could negate the performance of the partition and allow smoke fumes and fire to pass through from one compartment to another. Labels can help communicate, protect compartments and help prevent loss of life or extensive damage to the building.
A collaboration between
