Fire Stopping? Or Fire Starting..??

fireexperts — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:12:10 +0000

This is what our site team have found behind a frame of an existing fire door in a live hospital ward. The wall has been loosely filled with timber off-cuts and newspaper!

Fire stopping correctly between the back of door frames and the wall sub-structure (behind the architraves) is a critical part of a fire door-sets function. As important as the door leaf itself, fire stopping enables the door-set to restrict the passage of cold smoke and fire for the specified period of time.

Yet it is one of the main areas where we constantly find it neglected, or worst still not carried out at all. All fire door-set installations and existing fire door assemblies that are being maintained must have fire stopping between the back of frame and sub-structure. This must be carried out as per the manufacturers installation instructions and as per BS 8214 (2016).

Not having the correct materials behind the architraves means fire-doors are totally ineffective for what they were designed for. This is why all fire door-sets should be installed by third party accredited installers.

Materials that should be used vary depending on the depth of the void, it’s not just a case of filling up the gaps with something inflammable! Intumescent material and intumescent mastic as specified in the fire door-sets’ installation instructions or the fire certificate data sheet should be used to fill any gaps.

Gaps up to 10mm – intumescent mastic tested to BS 476: Part 20: 1987 and EN1366-4

Gaps between 10mm and 20mm – non-combustible mineral fibre material for linear joints which is then encapsulated with intumescent mastic as above.

Gaps in excess of 30mm – timber packer infills the same density as the frame.

Once this work has been completed and the installation detail has been checked, architrave should then be fitted as they often form an integral part of the fire door assembly and its ability to provide effective passive fire protection.

What should should never, ever, ever be used is random timber off-cuts and rolled up newspaper!!

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“A perfect bonfire” – LBC Investigation

fireexperts — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 08:56:31 +0000

LBC Investigation Finds Safety Shortfalls In Barking Estate After Fire Destroyed 20 Homes

Following a recent fire, LBC’s Rachael Venables took chartered surveyor and fire safety expert Arnold Tarling to inspect the fire safety measures in one of the neighbouring blocks. Mr Tarling described exterior wooden cladding as “the perfect bonfire”.

“There are vertical timbers, which the fire will spread up, we have horizontal decorative timbers and you have horizontal decking timbers,” he said. “And the only thing separating them is a piece of flammable plastic to stop items dropping through. Now this is built like a crib that you would use in fire testing because wood burns pretty well, and you’ve got a perfect bonfire here.”

This video highlights the importance of correctly installing fire doors, and also correctly maintaining fire stopping measures within a building.

In response to the investigation, a London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “The building owner is responsible for fire safety measures and needs to maintain an up to date fire risk assessment”.

“We are working with the local authority, building company and the management company to address any fire safety issues to ensure residents feel safe when returning to their homes. Our fire safety team has carried out a visit to both the affected block and a neighbouring block of the same construction.”

What can you do? How can we help??

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 highlights how these measures fall under the remit of the building’s “Responsible Person”. This “Person” is required to ensure a suitable system of maintenance is in place. Above all, passive fire protection equipment should be in an efficient state and in proper working order. The Order requires all such installation and maintenance work to be carried out by “suitably competent persons”.

Fire Door Experts can help! Do you have any concerns about your fire safety measures? If you would like some advice, please don’t hesitate to speak to one of our team.

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The post “A perfect bonfire” – LBC Investigation appeared first on Fire Door Experts.

bonfire – Fire Door Experts

Fire Stopping? Or Fire Starting..??

This is what our site team have found behind a frame of an existing fire door in a live hospital ward. The wall has been loosely filled with timber off-cuts and newspaper!

“A perfect bonfire” – LBC Investigation

LBC Investigation Finds Safety Shortfalls In Barking Estate After Fire Destroyed 20 Homes

What can you do? How can we help??