Level 1&2 - Fire Saftey, passive fire stopping Flashcards
(39 cards)
How do you identify inadequate fire stopping during an inspection?
Look for gaps or unsealed penetrations in fire-resisting elements, especially around service risers and cable trays. Check for missing fire collars, unsealed voids, or inappropriate materials.
Compare findings against compartmentation drawings and consult fire strategy documents where available.
What is the process for specifying remedial works for a fire stopping defect?
Consult a certified fire-stopping contractor and specify intumescent collars and fire-rated mastic. Reference manufacturer data and ensure products meet BS EN 1366 standards.
Example: Identifying penetrations in a riser cupboard on a student accommodation project.
What is your process for verifying that fire stopping works have been completed to the required standard?
Carry out post-installation inspections, check materials against specifications, ensure labels and photographic evidence are in place, and verify alignment with fire strategy and relevant drawings.
Often done alongside a clerk of works or third-party fire stopping assessor.
How do you ensure your specified fire stopping solutions comply with building regulations?
Refer to Approved Document B and BS 9999 for guidance, ensure reinstatement of the original fire rating, and liaise with building control.
Particularly important for non-standard solutions.
Reviewed their digital records and fire-stopping log as part of the O&M documentation.
Particularly important for non-standard solutions.
Describe a situation where you coordinated with a specialist fire contractor.
Coordinated with a third-party certified contractor for a healthcare refurbishment to remediate historical fire-stopping defects. Issued compartmentation drawings and clarified scope.
Reviewed their digital records and fire-stopping log as part of the O&M documentation.
What are some common fire-stopping defects you’ve encountered?
Common issues include:
* Unsealed penetrations in compartment walls
* Inappropriate use of non-fire-rated mastic or foam
* Missing collars around plastic pipes
* Lack of continuity in fire batts
* Voids above suspended ceilings not properly sealed
These issues compromise compartmentation and can significantly impact life safety.
What information do you expect to see in a fire-stopping log or report?
Expect:
* Before during and after photos of installations
* Location references linked to drawings
* Product details and certification
* Installation date and installer credentials
* Sign-off from a qualified inspector
This forms part of the golden thread for fire safety.
How do you deal with legacy fire-stopping issues in older buildings?
Begin with a compartmentation survey, mapping breaches and assessing original construction against current standards. Liaise with fire engineers to agree on a remedial scope.
Focus on critical risk areas such as risers, corridors, and escape routes, particularly where sleeping accommodation is a consideration.
How do you approach specifying fire stopping around mixed service penetrations?
Reference manufacturer-tested solutions for mixed penetrations, specify multi-service transit systems or fire batts with intumescent wraps, and ensure the entire assembly has been fire-tested as a whole.
How do you determine whether a fire-stopping solution is acceptable on-site?
Assess the breach, consult fire strategy and compartmentation drawings, cross-check remediation against tested details from manufacturers, and ensure supporting test data for non-standard solutions.
Example: Recommended an ablative batt system with mastic finish instead of intumescent mastic alone for a grouped cable tray.
How do you verify the quality and compliance of completed fire-stopping works?
Carry out post-installation checks, compare completed works to original specifications, review the contractor’s fire stopping log, and ensure photographic evidence is taken.
Raised concerns where photos didn’t match the labelled location on the log.
What is the difference between a tested and engineered solution?
A tested solution has been fire-tested under controlled conditions, while an engineered solution is bespoke and requires evidence like a fire engineer’s assessment.
Always prefer tested solutions but can accept engineered ones if properly justified.
How do you consult or liaise with fire stopping contractors to agree remedial measures?
Review proposed methods, compare with fire strategy and manufacturer literature, and walk the contractor through the breach on-site.
Challenged the proposed use of mastic only for a mixed-penetration breach.
What fire stopping materials are you most familiar with?
Familiar with:
* Intumescent mastic for small linear gaps
* Intumescent wraps for plastic pipes
* Ablative batt and mastic systems for mixed service penetrations
* High-pressure sealants for mechanical or smoke control requirements
Their use is governed by materials being fire stopped, location, fire rating, movement capacity, and compatibility with adjacent construction.
How have you applied your knowledge of passive fire protection in Fire Risk Assessments?
Assess compartmentation integrity particularly in electrical risers, bin chutes and flat entry and cross corridor/communal doors, identify visible breaches, and comment on likely fire resistance of linings and walls.
Raised actions for unsealed cable penetrations in communal areas.
Raised actions for unsealed cable penetrations in communal areas.
How do you ensure fire stopping products are installed in line with manufacturers’ guidance?
Inspect installation visually, review fire stopping log, check for correct annular spacing and depth of mastic, and ensure proper orientation of wraps or collars.
Referring to standard details is part of the role.
What is the purpose of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005?
The Fire Safety Order 2005 consolidates fire safety legislation in non-domestic premises in England and Wales. It places a legal duty on the “responsible person” to assess fire risks, implement suitable fire safety measures, and maintain them to ensure the safety of occupants and relevant persons.
What are the key updates introduced by the Fire Safety Act 2021?
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarifies that fire risk assessments must include a building’s structure, external walls (including cladding and balconies), and flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings. It extends the application of the Fire Safety Order 2005 to these elements.
What is the main objective of the Building Safety Act 2022?
The Building Safety Act 2022 aims to improve the regulation and oversight of higher-risk residential buildings. It establishes the Building Safety Regulator, introduces the ‘Accountable Person’ role, and ensures a golden thread of building safety information is maintained through a building’s lifecycle.
What are the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, and whom do they apply to?
These regulations implement the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1. They apply to multi-occupied residential buildings and place duties on the Responsible Person to provide fire safety information, carry out checks on fire doors, maintain communal fire safety equipment, and ensure clear signage in high-rise buildings.
What is the fire triangle, and why is it important in fire safety?
The fire triangle represents the three elements needed for a fire: heat, fuel, and oxygen. Understanding this helps in fire prevention, as removing any one of these elements will prevent a fire from starting or continuing to burn.
What is compartmentation and how does it aid fire safety in buildings?
Compartmentation involves dividing a building into fire-resisting sections to limit the spread of fire and smoke. It protects escape routes, enables safe evacuation, and helps firefighters tackle fires more effectively.
What are the two volumes of Approved Document B and how are they used?
Approved Document B is split into:
* Volume 1: Dwellings — guidance for fire safety in houses and flats.
* Volume 2: Buildings Other Than Dwellings — covers non-residential and mixed-use buildings.
They provide guidance on meeting the fire safety requirements of Building Regulations Part B.
