Passive Fire Protection

Putting your building compliance and safety in someone else’s hands is not just important, but critical to getting it right. Ensuring your buildings are compliant, both now and into the future, our services will form an important part in your overall fire strategy…

MBS passive fire protection Division, Will supply a comprehensive range of third-party accredited survey, installation and compliance services to public and private sector.

We provide passive fire protection in and around London and the south east, from cable and service penetrations to fire door surveys, maintenance and repairs Providing fire safety Compliance for our clients, Also developing the most comprehensive range of built-in passive fire protection solutions, Let MBS make your buildings compliant now.

Fire Compartmentation

  • Fire Compartmentation is the Division of the Building into discreet Fire Zones.
  • Fire Compartmentation is Probably the most effective means of limiting fire damage.
  • Fire Compartmentation is designed to contain the fire to within the area of the starting point of the fire.
  • Fire Compartmentation approach provides at least some protection for the rest of the building and its occupants even if other fire prevention systems are installed and fail.
  • Fire Compartmentation will delay the spread of fire before the fire brigade arrives on the scene.

To be effective, Fire Compartmentation does need to be planned and implemented properly.

Penetration sealing

Penetration sealing systems are critical in maintaining the fire rating and preventing the spread of smoke between fire compartments in walls and floors where mechanical, electrical and general services are present.

They are designed to seal gaps and voids formed by things like piping, cables, and wall spaces that penetrate into compartment walls and floors. This is because gaps like these can allow flames and smoke to spread through a building in the event of fire.

Penetration sealing raises the overall fire safety standards of a building and thus offers additional protection to anyone who works or lives there.

Current building legislation identifies that penetration sealing compliance is crucial in retaining the integrity of a buildings fire compartments and maximises the amount of time available for people to escape from a building.

Building legislation currently identifies that penetration sealing is critical for retaining fire compartment integrity allowing more valuable time for people to exit a building.

Penetration Sealing is required where ever an item breaches a wall or floor. We have a range of options to achieve penetration sealing including Intumescent sealants, Pipe wraps and fire pillows.

Photos of Fire Stopping

Fire Doors

Are Very important in the process of compartmentalising a building to slowing a fire and preventing smoke flow from room to room.

We supply and fit a wide range fire doors invaluable for protecting life and protecting the building should the unthinkable happen. The most common doors are FD30 & FD60 fire doors but we have a range to suite most environments.

In brief, fire doors are there to save lives. They can vary greatly in design but all serve the same purpose of preventing loss of life and property in the event of a fire. Their construction enables buildings to compartmentalise and delay the spread of fire from one area to another. The two most important functions of a fire door are that, when closed, they can form a barrier to stop the spread of fire but, when opened, they can provide a means of escape. A well designed fire door will delay the spread of fire and smoke without causing too much hindrance to the movement of people and goods. The most common categories of fire doors are FD30 and FD60 fire doors which offer 30 and 60 minutes fire protection respectively.

In brief, fire doors are there to save lives. They can vary greatly in design but all serve the same purpose of preventing loss of life and property in the event of a fire. Their construction enables buildings to compartmentalise and delay the spread of fire from one area to another. The two most important functions of a fire door are that, when closed, they can form a barrier to stop the spread of fire but, when opened, they can provide a means of escape. A well designed fire door will delay the spread of fire and smoke without causing too much hindrance to the movement of people and goods. The most common categories of fire doors are FD30 and FD60 fire doors which offer 30 and 60 minutes fire protection respectively.

Photo of Fire Door

Fire door maintenance

Due to their importance in protecting lives and property, it is imperative that fire doors receive regular inspections and maintenance. The frequency of this maintenance depends on a variety of different factors, including the age and condition of the door. It has been suggested that a minimum six month inspection is needed. If you own a commercial or non-domestic property, there are strict regulations and guidelines to follow, ensuring the doors can withstand certain heats. Fire doors should always be fitted correctly by a competent installer, as they’re a carefully engineered fire safety device. Likewise, if you are a landlord, you have a responsibility, under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (FSO), to ensure your properties and tenants are safe. A landlord is viewed as the ‘responsible person’ and thus has a legal responsibility to their tenants, meaning can be criminally prosecuted if they do not fulfill their duties.

MBS Fire Door Supply and Installation

The correct installation of a fire door is a complex procedure and requires experienced certified installers.

When you choose MBS For fire door installation, you can be assured that all of our fire doors are installed to the manufactures fixing instruction, with test evidence to ensure that they perform to the correct standard as intended.

At MBS We pride ourselves on our Quality workmanship to ensure your fire doors are installed to the highest standard.

  • Experienced Certified installers
  • High standard installation

MBS Fire Doors –  Guidance

Fire doors and all passive fire protection products play a unique role in fire safety by containing a fire to a single compartment of a building and therefore reducing the risk to those in other compartments. Properly maintained fire doors should be part of the fire safety plan for every building.

When a fire door is installed, it should be done so with certificated components that will ensure it achieves its fire rating. Over time, without the correct maintenance, the fire door could fail so it is a statutory requirement that doors located on protected fire routes, doors to restrict the passage of smoke and final fire exit doors should all be regularly inspected to ensure that they function correctly and to the standard originally intended when the doors were installed.

The frequency of each inspection should be determined by assessing among other things the amount of use the door is subjected to, the criticality of the area and who it protects. This may result in a requirement for the doors to be inspected weekly or monthly but all fire doors must be inspected at least once a year.

Door leaf & frame

All fire doors should close effectively from any angle of opening using only the door closer and fit snugly in their frames. There must be free movement i.e. doors should freely swing through their normal arc without slowing or “grounding” on the floor.

There are a number of reasons why doors may fail to close:

Check that there are no foreign bodies or other objects obstructing the door.

Check for scuffmarks on the floor that could indicate the door is not moving freely.

Check that any smoke seals are correctly fitted and are undamaged.

Check the latch, if fitted to ensure correct operation and that it is suitably lubricated.

Only as a last resort should the closing device be adjusted, but this must be carried out carefully to ensure that the doors can be opened without undue force.

Ensure all obstructions are removed and the circumstances associated with it reported to the appropriate line manager.

The door and frame must remain square and should not be able to distort between the stiles, top and frame. The gaps must not be greater than those specified in the manufacturers’ installation instructions.

This is also true for the meeting stiles of double doors. Contact the BWF for their handy bwf gap tester to help you check the gap and find the BWF label.

If the door leaves have minor surface damage, then these can be repaired. However, if there are any major defects in either the door leaves or the frame, they must be replaced.

Glazed apertures

If the glass is cracked or broken, then it must be replaced immediately. If not, then in the event of a fire, smoke and gases will travel through the glass, which means that the fire door will not last its fire rating. This work must only be undertaken by companies with appropriate third party certification or by accredited installers.

Intumescent fire and smoke seals

For a door to work effectively, the door leaf must be free to move within the frame. In order to do this there must be a gap around the perimeter which may compromise the door’s ability to restrict the spread of fire.

Intumescent seals are the strips set into the door or frame that swell up rapidly when heated to fill the gap between the door and its frame or between door leaves in a double door.

The door may also have cold smoke seals. These are of a plastic fin or brush type and prevent smoke passing through any gaps in the early stages of a fire prior to the fire reaching the temperatures at which the intumescent strips operate.

Fire and hot gases can easily pass through gaps around the door within seconds and so to ensure the safety and reliability of the door, always fit intumescent seals.

Intumescent seals should be checked regularly to ensure they are in place and are not worn, damaged or missing.

Intumescent gaskets may have been used under ironmongery and other door hardware for example hinge blades, lock/latch end plates, strike plates and flush bolt recesses.

If seals have been badly fitted, are damaged or missing they must be replaced and in order to maintain the design performance potential any replacement seal should be of the same brand, size and type as the original.

If seals have to be replaced, then they should be fitted in one continuous length if possible. If fixed piecemeal, they could potentially leak at the joints.

 It should be noted that loose smoke seals left flapping could damage a fire door beyond repair.

Door Closing Devices

Check that the door closing device is operating correctly. Open the door fully and check it closes without binding on the floor. Open the door to approximately 5 degrees and again check that it closes fully, overcoming any latch or seal.

Check the door closing speed is approximately 10 seconds from an opening angle of 90 degrees and ensure the door does not slam.

Adjust the speed as necessary.

Ensure that the doors are not being wedged open.

Electro-magnetic hold-open and swing-free devices

Hold-open devices on fire doors should be electro-magnetic, and connected directly to the fire detection and alarm system, so that they can be released automatically if there is a fire. If fitted, make sure that any electro-magnetic hold open device is operating correctly and releases immediately when power is removed.

Make sure that door hold open devices are not straining the door against its self closing device.

A closer fitted at the top of the door should have the hold open device fitted at the top of the door. A floor spring at the foot of the door should have the hold open device fitted at the bottom.

Other types of fire door securing

 Locked doors situated on an evacuation route will be automatically unlocked in the event of an alarm.

 If this does not work they can be unlocked by breaking the green ‘break glass’ unit beside the door.

Ironmongery & Door Hardware

Mechanical items such as hinges, locks, latches, closer, floor springs etc are likely to wear over time.

 Maintenance provisions should comply with the hardware suppliers’ recommendations where these are known.

Locks and latches may require occasional light lubrication however some hinges use self-lubricating bearings that will not need additional lubrication.

Where it is necessary to replace worn hardware on a fire door these should be with products to the same specification as the original where possible.

Where it is necessary to replace worn hardware on a fire door such as hinges, latches, locks, flush bolts, closer and other items of load bearing or securing hardware these should be with products to the same specification as the original and be proven for use in timber fire rated doorsets.

It should be noted that hardware that has been successfully tested in metal door sets might not be suitable for use with timber door sets.

All ironmongery needs to be regularly checked. Ensure that all fixings are secure. Some hinges, closer arms and locks may require lubrication. Where required you must replace components like-for-like according to the original specification.

Hinges

Check that there is no visible wear on the hinge. Any dark marks or stains around the hinge knuckle could indicate wear and impending failure, meaning that the hinges should be replaced as soon as possible

Locks and lever handles

Check that the levers fully return to the horizontal after use and that the latchbolt is engaging smoothly and completely into the strike. Wipe any metal dust deposits off the latchbolt and strikeplate. Adjust, lubricate or replace as required.

All ironmongery needs to be regularly checked. Ensure that all fixings are secure. Some hinges, closer arms and locks may require lubrication. Where required you must replace components like-for-like according to the original specification.

CE marking of ironmongery

CE Marking is required under the Construction Products Directive (CPD) to confirm that construction products, which are placed on the market within Europe, meet the Essential Requirements set out in the CPD:

  • Mechanical Stability
  • Fire Safety                                                                
  • Health & Environmental Safety
  • Sound Protection
  • Energy Efficiency

Picture of CE marking on hinge

CE Marking allows a simple route to satisfying the Construction Products Regulations, which apply the Directive and its requirements in the UK.

CE Marked hinges, tested to BS EN1935, should be used on fire or smoke doors and on all routes of escape.

CE Marking of door closing devices, electro-magnetic closing devices and door co-ordinators tested to BS EN 1154/55/58.

Door Marking

The woodworking association TRADA use a system called Q-Mark. Q-Mark fire doors are clearly marked as such by small coloured plastic plugs inserted in the jamb of the door leaf and/or the frame. These indicate the type of fire door and include other information such as member details and scope of certification that can be used for verification purposes during specification, installation or at a later stage in during the doors service life. They are only available to full members of the BM TRADA Q-Mark schemes. The plugs follow a simple colour coding system. The information is summarised on a laminated plastic card available from BM TRADA.

The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) is another organisation that provides fire door ratings and the following is their system. Fire ratings for fire door assemblies are given in minutes and prefixed by the letters 'FD' i.e. FD 30 equates to a 30 minute fire door or doorset. The most commonly specified integrity levels are:

  • FD30 - 30 minutes (Half Hour)
  • FD60 - 60 minutes (One Hour)
  • FD90 - 90 minutes (Ninety Minutes)
  • FD120 - 120 minutes (Hundred and Twenty Minutes)

As part of the steps being taken by the BWF to simplify fire door identification and eliminate confusion in specification, the existing FD20 rating is no longer available.

Every BWF-Certifire Fire Door Assembly carries a permanent and tamper evident label and/or plastic plug. This is found either on top of the door, or just below the bottom hinge if it is a doorset.

Labels must never be tampered with in any way, including painting over them, as doing so will invalidate the certification. In this situation, contact the manufacturer directly and inform them so they can act accordingly.

Cleaning

Fire doors are finished with a variety of facings, which require different methods of cleaning. The manufacturer’s instructions will give full details.

Fire Door Signs

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and BS5499 lay down standards for the size and siting of Fire Door Safety Signs.

Signs should be fitted on all non-domestic fire doors and be visible at eye level. If these have been tampered with or removed, they must be replaced.

All fire doors MUST be signed using one of the following standard signs preferably in rigid plastic/metal screwed to the door.

Contact Us
Paddon House, 12 Stortford Road, Great Dunmow, CM6 1DA
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