Every building has intentional penetrations – the points where pipes, cables, ducts, and wiring pass through the walls, floors, and ceilings that form its fire-rated boundaries.
Each one is a potential route for fire and smoke to travel between compartments, bypassing the building’s compartmentation strategy entirely.
Fire stopping seals those penetrations using materials tested and certified for the specific service passing through them. It is a legal requirement under Building Regulations Approved Document B and an ongoing maintenance obligation under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Surrey Fire & Safety carries out fire stopping installation for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings across Surrey, London, and the South East – specified to tested system documentation and certified on completion.
Contact UsWhat is fire stopping?
Fire stopping seals penetrations in fire-rated walls, floors, and ceilings – the gaps created wherever a pipe, cable, duct, or structural element passes through a fire-rated boundary. It’s a part of passive fire protection.
Without it:
- Fire and smoke travel between compartments unimpeded
- The building’s fire compartmentation strategy is bypassed entirely
- Gaps no wider than a cable are enough to compromise a fire-rated floor or wall
The correct material depends on the penetration type, what passes through it, and the fire resistance required.
Fire Stopping Installation
The most important rule in fire stopping is straightforward: every new penetration needs sealing.
Our installation teams cover the full range of applications: Each arises from a different kind of building works, which is why a single specification rarely covers every penetration on a site:
- cable and conduit penetrations
- pipe penetrations
- duct and HVAC penetrations
- structural penetrations
- service riser shafts at every floor level
- Reinstatement of compartment boundaries breached by building works
Every installation is specified to tested system documentation, installed to the manufacturer’s instructions, and certified on completion.
Identifying what needs fire stopping requires a detailed look at every fire-rated boundary in the building – which is the scope of a fire compartmentation survey.
A fire risk assessment establishes that deficiencies exist; a compartmentation survey identifies exactly where and what remediation is required. Fire stopping installation or remedial works follow from that.
Get in touch with us, and we can help identify any issues – or rectify them and document the changes.
Book a SurveyFire Stopping Materials
There is no single material suitable for every application.
The correct specification depends on the penetration type, what passes through it, and the required fire resistance period.
Using the wrong material – or a generic substitute not installed to a tested system –does not constitute compliant fire stopping regardless of what the product packaging states.
| Material | What it does | Typical application |
| Intumescent mastic / sealant | Expands under heat to seal gaps around penetrations | Cable and small pipe penetrations through walls and floors |
| Fire pillows / blocks | Packed into openings; expand and harden under heat | Cable trays, larger duct openings, service riser penetrations |
| Pipe collars | Fitted around plastic pipes; collar crushes the pipe as it melts under heat | Plastic pipe penetrations – essential where the pipe would otherwise leave an open hole |
| Fire-resistant mortar | Hardens to seal large openings in masonry or concrete | Structural penetrations and large service openings in solid walls |
| Fire barrier boards | Used to reinstate compartment boundaries cut through by building works | Walls and floors breached during refurbishment or installation works |
British Standards for Fire Stopping
Fire stopping is governed by two instruments and tested against specific British Standards:
- Building Regulations Approved Document B – requires compliant fire stopping wherever services penetrate fire-rated elements in new and refurbished building.
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – requires responsible persons in non-domestic premises to maintain fire stopping as an ongoing obligation, not just at the point of construction
The relevant British Standards are BS EN 1366, which governs fire resistance testing for service installations including pipes, cables, and ducts; and BS 476 (Parts 20, 22, and 23), the historical UK fire resistance test standard still applicable to many existing buildings.
Certification means installation to a tested system assessed against one of these standards. Untested combinations of materials – even using individually rated products – are not compliant.
Fire Stopping Services with Surrey Fire & Safety
- BAFE accredited and FIA affiliated – certified to BAFE SP101 for passive fire protection installation, independently verified, not self-assessed.
- Correct material specification every time – we work from tested system documentation, not generic products, matching the correct method – mastic, collars, pillows, mortar, or barrier board – to the penetration type rather than defaulting to one product for every job.
- Full survey and installation capability – from initial assessment through to certified completion.
- Clear compliance reports – photographic evidence and written records for building control, fire authority, and audit.
- Whole-building approach – fire stopping assessed alongside compartmentation, cavity barriers, and fire doors in a single survey, so a breach found in one element isn’t assessed in isolation from the rest of the compartment line.
- Serving Surrey, London, and the South East for 25+ years.
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Fire Stopping – Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fire stopping law in the UK?
Fire stopping is a legal requirement under Building Regulations Approved Document B, which requires compliant sealing wherever services penetrate fire-rated elements in new and refurbished buildings. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 extends this to an ongoing maintenance obligation for responsible persons in non-domestic premises – the seals must be maintained in effective condition, not just installed once. Failure to comply can result in enforcement action, fines, or criminal liability.
Where is fire stopping required?
Wherever a pipe, cable, duct, or structural element passes through a fire-rated wall, floor, or ceiling. In practice this means service penetrations throughout a building – from individual cable runs through partition walls to pipe risers passing through every floor level. Any building work that creates a new penetration in a fire-rated element requires fire stopping as part of that work.
What is the fire stopping method?
The method depends on the penetration type. Intumescent mastic or sealant is used for cable and small pipe penetrations. Pipe collars are fitted around plastic pipes to crush them as they melt under heat. Fire pillows and blocks seal cable trays and larger openings. Fire-resistant mortar fills structural penetrations. Fire barrier boards reinstate boundaries cut through by building works. Each method must be installed to a tested system – the material and the installation method together form the certified solution.
Can anyone install fire stopping?
No. Fire stopping must be installed by a competent person working to tested system documentation – the specific combination of materials and installation method that has been assessed to BS EN 1366 or BS 476. Generic products applied without reference to a tested system do not constitute compliant fire stopping regardless of the product’s individual rating. BAFE accreditation is the recognised independent verification of competence for passive fire protection installation.
What qualifications do you need for fire stopping?
There is no single mandatory qualification, but competence must be demonstrable. The recognised route is third-party accreditation – BAFE SP101 covers passive fire protection installation and is the standard building owners and responsible persons should look for when appointing a fire stopping contractor. FIA membership provides an additional layer of independent verification. Installers should also be able to demonstrate familiarity with the tested system documentation for the specific materials and penetration types they are working with.
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