Passive fire protection (PFP) is the building’s silent defence. Where active systems (alarms, sprinklers) need electricity, water or a triggered response, passive measures work simply by being there — fire-resistant walls, floors, doors, dampers, and the fire stopping that seals every penetration between them. When PFP fails, fire spreads. Compartmentation survey work has become one of the busiest areas of fire safety since the Grenfell Tower Inquiry exposed decades of missed or mis-installed fire stopping in UK high-rise residential buildings.
The UK third-party certification landscape for PFP work is well developed. The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) sets industry guidance; IFC Certification (IFCC), LPCB and FIRAS all run installer certification schemes covering fire stopping, structural steel protection, and fire-resisting ductwork. Specifications under BS 9999, Approved Document B and the Building Safety Act increasingly require installers to hold one of these certifications.
Typical PFP scopes: intumescent coatings on structural steel (BS EN 13381-8), compartment walls and floors (BS 476-20 / BS EN 1364), fire-resistant ductwork (BS 476-24 / BS EN 1366-8), cable and pipe penetration seals (BS EN 1366-3), cavity barriers (BS 9991 / BS EN 1634 depending on application), and fire-resisting glazed systems. Each demands its own tested product range — mixing products is not permitted unless the manufacturer has tested them together.
INFIRISK directory listings for PFP contractors include certification body (IFC, LPCB, FIRAS), scope of works, and whether the firm carries out intrusive compartmentation surveys required by Type 2 or Type 4 fire risk assessments.
