Fire batts are extremely effective tools for preventing fires — but what is a fire batt exactly? 

The brief lapse of attention that allows a fire to start can lead to devastating consequences, destroying property and endangering lives. Although fire services can respond to such incidents, they might not always be able to prevent substantial damage. Therefore, for property and business owners, proactive fire prevention and protection systems are indispensable. One such system that has proven highly effective in mitigating fire damage is the fire batt.

In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the realm of fire batts – their composition, functions, and their pivotal role in passive fire protection systems. If you’re contemplating enhancing your property’s protection against fire, you’ve come to the right place.

An Introduction to Fire Batts

A fire batt is a slab made of robust mineral fibres, coated with an intumescent mastic – a type of adhesive that expands when exposed to heat, thereby providing a protective layer to the material underneath. These are primarily used to seal gaps and openings in walls, floors, and ceilings, essentially acting as fire barriers.

Fire batts, typically composed of fibreglass or mineral wool, are manufactured and supplied by reputable companies like Quelfire, Polyseam, Rockwool, and Firetherm, to name a few.

It’s worth noting that the installation process, which involves meticulously cutting and joining different pieces to form a single slab, is critical to the overall effectiveness of the fire batt. Given the fact that fires cause molecules to heat and expand, any improperly installed batt could compromise the fire resistance of the area, leading to the spread of fire and smoke.

The R-Value: Measuring Thermal Resistance

Just as with other types of insulation, the effectiveness of fire batt insulation is gauged on the r-value scale, a measurement of the material’s thermal resistance. The higher the r-value, the better the material is at controlling heat. However, a higher r-value also corresponds to a higher price point.

Interested in learning more about our fire batt solutions? Connect with one of our passive fire protection specialists for a comprehensive quote on fire batt installation and maintenance.

The Advantages of Fire Batts

As a central component of any comprehensive fire safety strategy, fire batts play a crucial role in halting the spread of smoke and fire for a specific duration. This offers occupants additional time to evacuate the building – a factor that can make a significant difference between preserving assets or experiencing complete property devastation. When it comes to bolstering fire safety, fire batt insulation offers a quick and secure method to safeguard your premises.

Fire Batts: A Cornerstone of Business Safety

Business safety should always place fire protection at the forefront. Additional fire safety enhancements, such as the installation of fire doors, can significantly bolster your premises’ safety. However, remember that maintaining and servicing all fire safety equipment regularly is of utmost importance to ensure their optimal performance.

Take a look at the comprehensive maintenance programs.

Ready to explore fire batt solutions tailored to your needs? Contact us today to schedule a complimentary site survey with one of our passive fire protection specialists. Our team of experts are committed to providing a safer, fire-resistant environment for you.

Note: This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a comprehensive guide for fire safety measures. Always consult with a fire safety professional for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.

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Safeguard your Business with CrystalView Services’s Comprehensive Template

Our complimentary fire risk assessment template is specifically designed for small businesses. It guides you through a user-friendly fire risk assessment process at your premises, helping you document vital details to protect your building and its occupants.

Download Your Template

Key Facts about Fire Risk Assessments

• Legally required for all properties
• Conduct assessments for each property under your responsibility
• Non-compliance may result in legal consequences
• Update assessments regularly, ideally annually or after significant changes
• Engage a qualified professional for accurate assessments

Who is at Risk in Your Building?

To ensure a comprehensive fire risk assessment, it is essential to identify the individuals who may be at risk in the event of a fire. This includes considering all occupants within your building and taking into account the specific people present at any given time.

Depending on the type of premises and whether it is open to the public, it is important to analyse the following groups of individuals who could be at risk: tenants, employees, lone and evening workers, children, customers, as well as vulnerable individuals and the elderly.

Appointing the Right Person for Your Risk Assessment (Fire Safety Order 2005)

The responsible person must ensure the fire risk assessment is compliant and adequate. For small businesses, the owner typically assumes this role unless an alternate individual is appointed. You can engage a qualified and competent fire risk assessor or attend fire safety training courses to gain confidence in conducting the assessment yourself.

Conducting a Risk Assessment Yourself: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Utilise our fire risk assessment template
2. Address all necessary areas within your building
3. Document assessment results and preventive actions

A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Fire Risk Assessment

• Understand fire hazards and their causes
• Identify groups at risk within your building
• Implement proactive measures to minimize fire risks
• Train staff on fire safety procedures and equipment use

Regularly Review Your Assessment

Update your fire risk assessment periodically to accommodate changes in procedures, building layouts, and equipment. Review assessments after a fire or close call to document incidents and implement new measures to prevent recurrence.

The law does not specify specific time intervals for conducting or reviewing risk assessments. Instead, it states that the individual accountable for the assessment in your building must review it “regularly” to ensure its relevance and accuracy.

The responsible person is required to review the fire risk assessment under the following circumstances:

1. If there is reason to believe that it is no longer valid, such as if a fire has occurred in the shared areas of the building.
2. If significant changes have taken place since the assessment was conducted, such as major construction work or an increase in the number of individuals using the building.

Helpful Resources for Your Fire Risk Assessment

A wealth of information and guidance is available to assist you, including resources from :

• Fire Service | UK Fire Service Resources
• Fire Risk Assessment Guides | .gov.uk
• Fire Risk Assessment Guides | Fire Safety Advice Centre

For further assistance or advice regarding your fire risk assessment or if your premises require an advanced assessment, contact our team of specialists.

Get Started with Your Free Fire Risk Assessment Template Now

Don’t wait any longer. Download our free fire risk assessment template and take the first step towards safeguarding your small business. If you need further assistance or advice, feel free to contact our team of specialists. We’re here to help!

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Fire compartmentation divides a building into smaller subsections using fire-resistant construction materials. Its goal is to slow down and contain the spread of fire and smoke. Fire compartmentation is a form of passive fire protection, meaning the function works without the need for people and machines, unlike fire alarms or a fire extinguisher.

Why is it Important?

First and foremost, fire compartmentation saves lives. This form of fire safety can create more time for people to evacuate a building by slowing the spread of fire and smoke. It can also offer building occupants a safe way to escape by preventing exit blockage. Fire compartmentation also protects firefighters as it makes containing and stopping a fire much easier for them.

Beyond saving people’s lives, fire compartmentation potentially decreases the amount of damage to your properties. For example, instead of a fire spreading to the entire building, this fire safety method can limit the damage to small subsections of a building. In addition, fire compartmentation can protect specific rooms or areas in a building. For instance, a library may make their special collections room into a separate compartment.

The same can be done for rooms that contain hazardous materials, like the chemical storage closet in a science classroom.

How to Implement Fire Compartmentation in Your Building

The best time to do this is during the construction of the building. However, additional components can be installed after the build. For a room or space to be considered a compartment, all the materials used to construct it must be fire-resistant.

Fire Barriers

This is a general term applied to any structure within a building that has a one-hour fire-resistance rating. The term is often used interchangeably with fire partition. However, fire partitions are different because they can have a fire-resistance rating of just 30 minutes.

Cavity Barriers

Cavities refer to an enclosed space within the walls, floors, or ceilings of a building. These function as breaches in a room you are trying to make a compartment because they provide a route for fire and smoke to escape the room and spread to other areas.

Cavity barriers take care of this issue by plugging up the cavities, making it impossible for fire and smoke to infiltrate the gaps. They are made of fire-resistant material or intumescent material (a substance that expands when temperatures reach a certain level).

Fire Doors

These are fire-resistant doors that also have seals capable of withstanding high temperatures. These doors are heavy, which can lead to people leaving them propped open for convenience. The doors should always remain closed so that they form a fire barrier. Additionally, Fire Doors should also receive regular inspections to ensure effectiveness. Read more on fire door regulations.

Fire Dampers

These are ducting fittings that prevent the spread of a fire through ducting vents. There are both vertical and horizontal dampers, and there are three main types.

1. Dynamic fire dampers are suited to areas where the fan will keep blowing even when the fire alarm goes on.
2. Static fire dampers cut off all the airflow in a duct when the fire alarm goes off.
3. Smoke dampers prevent smoke from travelling through the ducts.

Find out more about Fire Dampers & Maintenance

Fire Curtains

These are fire-resistant curtains stored in ceilings that drop down during a fire, forming a fire barrier.

Fire curtains are ideal for buildings with open floorplans since they remain hidden until there is an emergency. They are also useful in buildings that don’t have proper fire compartmentation installed.

There are also varieties of curtains that focus on smoke resistance and others that are both fire and smoke resistant.

Fire Compartmentation Guidelines

In England, you can find the building fire safety regulations concerning fire compartmentation in Approved Document B. While you should examine the document for all the specifics, here are some points from the document:

• Every floor of the building must be a compartment if the building’s top storey is more than 30 meters high
• Every wall that separates two separate businesses should be a compartment wall
• The ground floor of a building does not need to be a compartment floor unless the building has a basement
• If two buildings share a wall, it must be a compartment wall and run the entire vertical height of the buildings
• Compartment walls and roofs must be fire-resistant

The fire-resistance rating required for compartment walls and roofs can vary. The minimum rating required ranges from 30 minutes to two hours.

Have Your Building Assessed

Fire compartmentation is only one part of fire safety. There are many other factors to consider in ensuring that your building is safe for workers. But how can you know whether your building is safe and compliant with current fire safety legislation? The solution is simple: have a professional come out and perform a fire risk assessment. You can book your fire risk assessment with us today to ensure that your building is safe.

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Fires happen more often and faster than you expect. Many businesses and commercial premises are not equipped with sufficient passive fire protection measures.

The table below shows recent statistics on the number of commercial fires both accidental and deliberately set from 2019 to 2020 across the scope of business related premises.

These are only primary fires which are defined as follows;

• any fire that occurred in a (non-derelict) building or outdoor structure
• any fire involving fatalities, casualties or rescues
• any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Industrial premises includes: Industrial manufacturing, Industrial processing, Laboratory/research, Mines and quarries – above ground, Public utilities, Vehicle repair, Warehouses and bulk storage. Hotels, boarding houses, hostels etc. includes:Animal boarding, Boarding house/B&B for homeless/asylum seeker, Boarding house/B&B other, Caravan site – in caravan/camper van, Hostel, Hotel/Motel, Other holiday residence and Youth hostel. Communal living includes: Boarding school accommodation, Military/barracks, Monastery/convent, Nurses’/Doctors’ accommodation, Other residential home, Residential home, Sheltered housing and Student hall of residence. Private non-residential buildings includes: Other private non-residential building, Private garage, Private garden shed, Private greenhouse and Private summer house. Other public buildings includes: Car parks, Public admin/security/safety, Public toilets, Religious buildings, Sports pavilions and Transport buildings. Fire data is collected by the Incident Recording System (IRS) which collects information on all incidents attended by fire and rescue services. For a variety of reasons some records take longer than others for fire services to upload to the IRS and therefore totals are constantly being amended (by relatively small numbers).

How does passive fire protection help and how do these systems work?

Passive fire protection is built into the structural components of the building. Designed to minimise potential fire damage to buildings and their contents. Unlike active fire protection, such as fire extinguishers and hoses, passive fire protection is installed to slow the spread of smoke and flames at all times. Learn more about the difference between active and passive fire protection. With passive fire protection in place, you can rest assured that there is a safeguard against fires protecting you and minimising risk at all times. What are the different types of passive fire protection and how do they protect your business premises and workspaces?

Fire Compartmentation

One of the most fundamental principles of fire protection is compartmentation.

This is the concept where any building is sectioned off in a series of compartments with each section sealed with a fire-resistant material creating a series of compartments. This can be accomplished by dividing up a large space into several rooms.

By dividing up the structural components of the building, the fire can be contained to the section in which it started. If it does eventually spread, the fire will have to break through the barriers of the next section before it can continue through the rest of the building.

Every second counts when it comes to putting out fires. Compartmentation slows the spread of fires and saves lives.

Fire Doors

Almost any room in a building has one major breach in its walls: a door. Every fire compartment needs a fire door, so it is important to have fire-resistant doors. The fire stopping capability of a door is tested in a controlled space. When a fire occurs, the timer is started with each fire door keeping the fire at bay for at least 30 minutes with an FD30 door. Fire always follows the path of least resistance and will find any nook or cranny to get through. A regular door has numerous small openings where fire can get through. Investing in fire doors is an essential part of your fire strategy. Fire doors are available in various types (timber, steel etc) and specifications (FD30, FD60, FD90). FD30 fire doors being resistant to fire for at least 30 minutes, FD30S specification would mean they are resistant to, and limit the spread of, both fire and smoke for 30 minutes. FD60 at least 60 minutes and so on. We install a range of fire doors to meet both your safety and aesthetic requirements. Also don’t forget to download our FREE Fire Door Inspection checklist to confirm your fire doors are meeting government standards.

Penetration Seals

A less obvious place where fire can break through compartmented spaces is near pipes and electrical wires.

Plumbing and electrical systems wind their way all through your building, between rooms and levels. If you don’t form a complete seal at the location where these pipes and wires pass through a wall or floor, you are leaving a breach in the fire-protection membrane.

These small openings may seem inconsequential to some plumbers and electricians. But even the tiniest flame can spread into a ruinous fire.

It is always worthwhile to have a passive fire protection expert examine your plumbing and electrical systems to ensure they are well sealed.

Fire Glazing & Coating

Another key way to prevent the spread of fires is to make sure as many surfaces as possible have a fire-resistant nature. You can achieve this with a fire-resistant glaze or coating. One of the most common and affordable methods of coating your glass to increase fire protection is adding a wire grid. As the glass heats up from the fire, it may shatter, but the wire will hold it in place. You will see this method used in public-funded buildings like schools and prisons. If you want a more attractive pane of glass without wires, you may want to go with a ceramic glaze. Ceramics are almost impossible to combust. This is why, when making pottery, ceramic artworks can withstand the extreme temperatures of a kiln. There are even special types of gel or resin coatings that will expand upon exposure to fire. This gives the glass extra thickness, increasing the amount of time it takes a fire to break through.

Fire Dampers

Another common path a fire will try to take through a building is through the air ducts. Like plumbing and electrical systems, ventilation ducts pass through walls and ceilings, creating an easy opening for fires to pass through.

That’s where fire dampers come in. These are places wherever an air duct passes through a fire-resistant membrane like a wall or floor. When the air temperature reaches about 165 degrees Fahrenheit, the dampers are activated. Their grates automatically close and form a permanent, airtight seal.

This removes the need for a person to manually close the grates in an emergency and prevents fire from spreading through air ducts.

Stairwells

Stairwells are one of the most important tools for firefighters. They are necessary to get to all parts of the building. This is where the fire hose is usually found in most high-rise apartment buildings.

Because the stairwell is not meant for living or workspaces, they can be streamlined for maximum fire protection. You will usually find that fire doors within stairwells have the highest level of fire rated protection. Without a fire-resistant stairwell, firefighters won’t be able to do their job.

Passive Fire Protection Products To Look Out For

There are numerous Passive Fire Protection (PFP) products on the market today. While we have covered a few of the essentials above, you may want to consider investing in some of the following products as well.

• Fire protection to the structural frame of the building
• Fire-resisting doors and fire door furniture
• Fire shutters
• Compartment walls and floors
• Fire-resisting walls and partitions
• Fire-resistant suspended ceilings
• Fire-resistant glazing
• Fire doors and hardware
• Industrial fire shutters and curtains
• Smoke shafts and compliant fire rated stairwells
• Fire-resisting dampers (mechanical or intumescent) used in horizontal or vertical ventilation ducts
• Fire-resisting ductwork
• Linear gap seals
• Penetration seals for pipes, cables and other services
• Cavity barriers
• Fire Batts
• Fire Compound
• Pipe collars and wraps
• Fire-resisting air transfer grilles (mechanical or intumescent)
• The building envelope, e.g. fire-resisting external walls, curtain walls etc.
• Reaction to fire coatings
• Hydrocarbon structural fire protection systems

Passive Fire Protection Is Essential

It can be tempting to cut corners when undertaking maintenance and fire compliance work on your commercial premises. You may have never experienced a fire before and expect that one will never happen to you, but fires can break out in mere minutes and with no warning. If you find yourself in that situation, every spare second you save could mean the difference between life and death.

By investing in fire protection now, you substantially reduce the risk of fire damage. Passive fire protection systems limit the damage that can be done should the worst case scenario occur.

If you have questions about how to make sure your building is compliant with the current fire safety legislation and is as safe as possible, don’t hesitate to contact us.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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Both active and passive fire protection methods can save your business and help mitigate the risk of fire. Keep reading to learn all you need to know about the two main methods of fire protection.

Passive vs Active Fire Protection

What’s the difference between active and passive fire protection? While passive and active fire protection work together to stop fires from spreading, active protection requires action from individuals in most case scenarios while passive protection works without anyone or anything having to act.

Active Fire Protection

Think of active fire protection as a function that requires a machine to kick in or a person to flip a switch. The action results from a signal or an alarm going off, telling a machine or a person that a fire has started. The machine or person then does something, actively, to stop the fire.

Active fire protection works to suppress and even extinguish a fire before it can damage or harm.

Passive Fire Protection

What is passive fire protection? If active fire protection requires a person or machine to trigger it, how does passive fire protection work? Passive fire protection protects buildings and limits the damage a fire can cause. These systems and methods do not require a person or machine to trigger them because their very presence prevents fires from causing more damage. Think of them as a fire stopping method. Our fire prevention experts can design and adapt existing buildings to have passive fire protection, built into the structure to keep fires from moving through the building. For example, fire-resistant doors and walls can slow a fire down long enough to give people can chance to escape. Fire dampers and fire doors can prevent oxygen from feeding the fire. Passive fire protection basically attempts to keep the fire in a small area and allow you or authorities to put it out before it engulfs your entire structure.

Methods of Active Fire Protection

Active fire protection requires someone or something to turn it on. Otherwise, it does no good. A sprinkler system that does not automatically go off with a fire has a huge disadvantage.

Here are a few different methods for active fire protection:

• Fire extinguisher: A person must pick up the extinguisher and operate it for it to work.
• Sprinkler systems: A machine must detect that a fire is present for the sprinklers to kick in and douse the fire.
• Fire detection or fire alarm systems: Smoke or heat will trigger the alarm which alerts proper authorities that a fire is present. The alarm may also activate sprinklers or close doors.
• Firefighters: These individuals qualify as active fire protection since they walk into the building to stop it.
• Photoluminescent egress path markers: These path markers will light up when the system detects a fire. Building occupants will be able to follow the markers out of the building and to safety.

When we think of fire protection, our minds automatically go to active fire protection as this is the most traditional method of stopping a fire.

Methods of Passive Fire Protection

Passive fire protection requires installation and planning. It limits the damage a fire can do to a building, and it gives people a chance to evacuate unharmed.

Here are a few of the most common passive fire protection methods:

• Dampers: You can have dampers installed that close when a fire is detected. They prevent fire and smoke from spreading throughout the building.
• Fire doors: Specially designed external and internal fire doors create a barrier for fires. Fire doors consist of a fire-resistant material that will slow a fire down. Use our FREE Fire Door Inspection checklist to make sure your fire doors are up to government standards.
• Curtain and cavity barriers: You can have fire experts install cavity barriers either vertically or horizontally to create a cavity that stops the fire. These fire-proof barriers will compartmentalize the fire in a smaller area.
• Fire Batts: A fire batt is a board coated with mineral wool. We can install this board on walls and floors to keep the fire from penetrating the surface.
• Fire sealing compound: A fire sealing compound will provide load-bearing fire seals for light foot traffic on your floors. Often building programmes need to make a place for pipes or cable trays. These breeches will compromise fire stopping walls and floors, but a fire sealing compound fixes this.
• Collapsing collars and wraps: These wraps and collars go on plastic pipes that pass through walls and floors. The material around the pipe will squeeze it and collapse it until the opening has sealed completely.
• Acoustic and smoke seals: Fire experts can apply this sealant to windows, cables, joints, pipes, fire doors, and any small hole through which a fire could spread.

Passive fire protection works without you have to do anything to make it work. It just stops the spread of fire.

Combining Active & Passive Methods

If you want the best chance to save your structure from a fire, you should consider having both a passive and active fire protection system in place. These systems work best when they work together.

Active fire systems will put the fire out. Passive fire protection systems will keep the fire from spreading.

Plus, you have to remember that active fire systems can fail. Sprinklers will malfunction due to water supply problems, inadequate water pressure, or a lack of maintenance. But passive systems always work if installed correctly by an accredited installer.

We Help to Stop Fire & Save Lives

Basic passive fire protection will keep a fire from spreading, save your structure from complete damage, and give your building occupants a chance to escape. Fire stopping doors, walls, and other methods give you the best chance to avoid the full disaster a fire can cause. If you’re interested in having your commercial premises evaluated for fire safety, contact us. We have an array of passive and active fire protection solutions, and we can recommend a system that will keep your building safe, compliant to the latest in fire safety regulations and ultimately bring you peace of mind.

The post Active vs Passive Fire Protection: What’s the Difference? appeared first on CrystalView Services.

Comprising a mix of studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments, totalling 165 units over 22 storeys, Sutton Court Road Build to Rent Accommodation is Watkin Jones Group’s latest development near Sutton Station, South London. For the high-rise multi-occupancy building, the installation of an effective passive fire stopping system was required throughout the whole site to ensure building and occupant safety. Appointed as the passive fire protection contractor on this project was CrystalView Services Communications.

Alan Ward, Sales Director at CrystalView Services Communications said: “All buildings are essentially divided into compartments. Compartmentalisation ensures that fire is contained at its point of origin and therefore slows down the spread of flames and smoke from one compartment to the next, increasing the time people have to escape and reducing structural damage. To achieve effective fire compartmentation, any voids and services passing through fire compartment walls and floors, such as cables, pipes and ductwork, must be properly fire stopped – and it was our job to source high quality and certified firestopping products for this project.

To read more on CrystalView Services’s solution for Watkin Jones, Sutton Court Road, please see the full case study on the Quelfire website.

Alternatively if you are interested in our fire stopping services, please call 
01245 214104 now or email webenquiries@CrystalView Services-communications.com.

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The contract entails all Fire Stopping installation works across the whole building including the commercial floors, apartments, basement, internal corridors, risers and offices.

The works have now commenced and due for completion in 2021, using Quelfire products throughout.

For information on CrystalView Services Fire Stopping and to view our full range of passive fire protection solutions, please see here.
Alternatively please call: 01245 214104 now or email: enquiries@CrystalView Services-communications.com.

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See our Case study here.

See CrystalView Services Fire Stopping: https://crystalview-services-communications.com/ passive-fire-protection/fire-stopping/

Alternatively if you are interested in CrystalView Services Fire Stopping, please call: 
01245 214104 now or email enquiries@CrystalView Services-communications.com.

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The project requires passive fire protection applied within all the electrical and mechanical risers, throughout all floors within the tower blocks.

Polyseam products will be used throughout the project.

This work is due to commence shortly and we are very much looking forward to working alongside Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.

For more information on CrystalView Services Fire Stopping please see the link below:
https://crystalview-services-communications.com/ passive-fire-protection/fire-stopping/

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This will take place at their new Build to Rent Accommodation development on Sutton Court Road, South London. The project consists of 165 apartments over 22 storeys.

The contract requires all of the Fire Stopping installation works throughout the whole site. Ensuring passive fire protection to the cavity barriers, apartment penetration, risers, and lift shaft. Quelfire products will be used throughout the project.

We are very much looking forward to the works commencing for the project and working alongside Watkin Jones Group.

For information on CrystalView Services Fire Stopping and to view our full range of passive fire protection solutions, please see the link below:
https://crystalview-services-communications.com/ passive-fire-protection/fire-stopping/fire-stopping-products/

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