Fire Compartmentation Survey

Fire compartmentation usually refers to a room, a space or area which is designed to contain and compartment the effects of a fire. A good fire compartment stops fire and smoke from spreading from one to compartment to the next. The idea behind fire compartmentation is to protect residents, staff and building users so they can escape safely without the effects of a fire adversely affecting any fire escape routes. Usually, compartment walls, compartment floors, compartment ceilings and compartment fire doors make up a fire compartment. Fire stopping and compartmentation work is required when any breaches exist within the fire compartment; for example, services such as pipes and cables passing through one compartment to another. If these services or breaches in fire compartmentation are not adequately fire stopped (we normally insist that they are fire stopping by a 3rd party accredited fire stopping company) then this can cause fire and smoke to pass from one compartment to the next.

Fire compartmentation is very important for those buildings, like a block of flats or high rise tower blocks, where the fire evacuation is to stay put. For this fire strategy to work, there is heavy reliance on sound compartmentation to be present between flats and communal escape route compartments.