Passive Fire Protection Services in London, Surrey & the Home Counties
Passive fire protection is built into your building. It does not activate when a fire breaks out – it is either in place and correct, or it is not.
Fire-resistant walls, floors, fire doors, fire stopping seals, cavity barriers: these are the elements that contain a fire long enough for people to evacuate safely and for firefighters to do their job.
Surrey Fire & Safety delivers the full range of passive fire protection services for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings across London, Surrey, and the Home Counties:
- fire risk assessments,
- fire stopping,
- fire door services, covering three areas:
- fire compartmentation for different building types.
If you are not sure whether your building’s passive fire protection is still performing as it should, a free survey is the right place to start.
What Is Passive Fire Protection?
Passive fire protection (PFP) refers to the fire-resistant elements that are integrated into a building’s structure to contain the spread of fire and smoke.
Unlike active fire safety systems – such as conventional or wireless fire alarms, sprinklers, or fire extinguishers – passive systems require no activation. They work automatically, holding fire within the compartment where it started.
A well-protected building is designed so that any fire is contained within a defined zone for long enough – typically 30, 60, or 120 minutes – to allow safe evacuation and emergency response.
That containment depends on every PFP element being correctly installed, undamaged, and properly maintained.
The most common passive fire protection elements are:
- Fire-rated walls, floors, and ceilings forming the compartment boundaries
- Fire doors and frames maintaining those boundaries at every opening
- Fire stopping sealing every penetration where services pass through fire-rated barriers
- Cavity barriers closing concealed voids where fire can travel unseen
Structural fire protection preserving load-bearing elements under fire conditions
How Passive Fire Protection Works
Effective PFP rests on three principles: compartmentation, containment, and ongoing maintenance.
All three must be functioning properly – a building strong on two but deficient on one has a vulnerability that makes all the difference for fire safety.
1. Compartmentation
The building is divided into fire-resistant zones. A fire in one compartment is contained within it, protecting escape routes and limiting damage. Fire compartmentation is a legal requirement under Building Regulations Part B – and a compartmentation survey will identify whether yours has been compromised by building works or wear over time.
2. Containment
Rated walls and fire doors are the visible part of containment. Fire stopping is the part that is often missed – sealing every penetration where pipes, cables, and ducts pass through fire-rated elements. A single unsealed penetration can undermine the containment of an entire floor.
3. Ongoing Maintenance
PFP degrades. Doors warp, seals wear, new penetrations go unsealed, and refurbishments can compromise rated walls. Regular inspection is not optional; it’s a legal requirement.
Legal Requirements for Passive Fire Protection
Passive fire protection is a legal obligation.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires all non-domestic premises to implement and maintain appropriate fire safety measures, including PFP. Building Regulations Part B governs the design and specification of fire-resistant elements in new and refurbished buildings.
For multi-occupied residential buildings, the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced mandatory fire door inspection frequencies – quarterly checks for common areas in buildings over 11 metres, and annual checks for flat entrance doors.
Failure to comply can result in fines, enforcement action, or criminal liability.
Do not take the unnecessary risk – arrange a callback today, and let’s make sure your building is safe and compliant.
Passive Fire Protection for Different Buildings
PFP requirements vary significantly by building type, occupancy, and use. We work across all sectors – below are the three we most commonly serve:
| Building type | Key considerations |
| Offices | Compartmentation of plant rooms and service risers. Fire doors on escape routes. FRA required under the Fire Safety Order 2005. Multi-tenanted buildings often have gaps where responsibility for shared escape routes and risers is unclear between landlord and tenants. |
| Social Housing | Quarterly fire door checks required for buildings over 11m. Compartmentation surveys and cavity barrier inspections increasingly expected post-Grenfell. The Building Safety Act 2022 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 place these inspection frequencies on a statutory footing for relevant buildings. |
| Care Homes | High-risk occupancy. Monthly equipment checks, annual FRA, and robust compartmentation required. CQC compliance depends on documented PFP measures. Evacuation strategy is usually progressive horizontal evacuation rather than full building evacuation, which makes compartment integrity – not just escape routes – the primary safety mechanism. |
Not listed? Get in touch – we work across a wide range of premises and can advise on your specific obligations.
Why Surrey Fire & Safety?
- BAFE accredited and FIA affiliated — independently verified, not self-assessed.
- 25+ years of experience across commercial, residential, and industrial buildings.
- Full-scope PFP capability — fire stopping, fire doors, fire compartmentation, cavity barriers, and structural protection.
- Clear compliance reporting — photographic evidence and written reports suitable for building control and audits.
- Honest advice — we tell you what needs attention and what can wait.
- Fast, reliable service across London, Surrey, and the Home Counties.
Frequently Asked Questions – Passive Fire Protection Services
What are passive fire protection services?
Passive fire protection (PFP) services typically encompass the design, installation, inspection, and maintenance of building elements that are built into the fabric of the structure to contain fire and smoke. Typical services include sealing service penetrations, installing fire-rated walls and floors, fitting fire doors, applying fire-resistant coatings to structural steel, and providing cavity barriers.
What is the British standard for passive fire protection?
There is no single “passive fire protection” standard, but key British standards include BS 476 (fire tests on building materials and structures) and BS 9999:2017 (fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings), which includes guidance on compartmentation and fire resistance.
What is the difference between passive and active fire protection?
Passive fire protection involves structural or built-in measures that contain or slow the spread of fire and smoke without needing activation. By contrast, active fire protection systems require activation or action (manual or automatic) to detect, control, or extinguish a fire, such as sprinklers and fire alarms.
What are passive fire protection systems?
Passive fire protection systems are combinations of materials, design techniques, and installations integrated into the building structure to:
- Stop or slow fire and smoke spread (e.g. fire-rated walls, floors, ceilings)
- Maintain structural integrity (e.g. fire-resistant coatings on steel)
- Protect escape routes and compartments (e.g. fire doors, cavity barriers, service-penetration seals)
How is PFP tested and certified?
PFP products and systems are tested according to recognised standards to assess fire-resistance durations (e.g. EI 30, EI 60). Certification and third-party accreditation ensure that materials and installed assemblies perform as tested. Regular inspection and maintenance must follow to retain performance.
How do I know if my building’s passive fire protection is compliant?
There is no single certificate that confirms a building’s PFP is compliant overall – compliance is assessed element by element. The starting point is a fire risk assessment, which identifies gaps against current legislation, followed by a compartmentation survey if the building hasn’t had one recently or has undergone refurbishment. Compliant PFP also means having documented evidence – inspection records, installation certificates, and maintenance history – not justday.