Fire stopping is essential to maintaining the integrity of fire compartments within a building. At Marlowe Environmental Services, we provide professional fire stopping inspections, remedial works and compliant installations to ensure your building remains protected and aligned with current legislation.
Fire stopping is the process of sealing gaps, joints and service penetrations in fire-resisting walls, floors and ceilings.
When services such as ductwork, pipework, cables and ventilation systems pass through fire-rated elements, voids are created. These openings are rarely an exact fit and may be altered over time due to rerouting or additional installations. If left unsealed, these gaps allow fire and smoke to spread rapidly between compartments.
Appropriate fire-retardant materials and tested systems must be used to reinstate the fire resistance of the compartment.
Regular inspection of fire compartments throughout a building is necessary to verify:
Fire stopping works must align with key industry standards and legislation, including:
ASFP Red Book (Reference to Certificated Products & Systems)
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Approved Document B (England Clause 10.2 / Wales Clause 11.2)
BS 9999 – Fire Safety in the Design, Management and Use of Buildings
BESA – Fire Stopping of Service Penetrations (Best Practice in Design and Installation)
DW145 – Installation and Maintenance of Fire and Smoke Dampers
TR19 – Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems
Approved Document B states:
“If a fire separating element is to be effective, then every joint, imperfection of fit, or opening to allow services to pass through the element should be adequately protected by sealing or fire-stopping so that the fire resistance of the element is not impaired.”
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the building owner or Responsible Person must ensure that fire safety systems are properly maintained.
This includes:
Locating all fire and smoke dampers
Ensuring regular inspection and testing
Rectifying identified defects
Maintaining accurate asset registers and compliance records
Failure to act on known fire safety defects may result in enforcement action or prosecution.
In addition to fire stopping inspections and remedial works, Marlowe Environmental Services provides comprehensive fire damper compliance services:
Fire Damper Installation & Replacement
Fire dampers come in various configurations, including units installed within or outside fire compartments. Correct installation is critical to maintaining compartmentation.
Fire Damper Testing
BS 9999 Annex W.1 requires fire dampers to be tested upon installation and at least annually by a competent person. Dampers in dust-laden or polluted environments may require more frequent testing.
Fusible Link Sourcing & Replacement
Fusible links vary in size and temperature rating. They are essential to fire damper activation and must be correctly specified and maintained.
Insufficient Access Rectification
BS 9999 Annex W.1 (Note 2) highlights the importance of access panels for maintenance and fire-fighting.
DW145 and TR19 specify the requirement for DW144 access doors for both testing and cleaning purposes.
Fire stopping restores the fire resistance of walls and floors where services pass through them. It prevents the spread of fire and smoke between compartments.
The building owner or Responsible Person is legally responsible for maintaining fire safety systems under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Fire dampers must be tested at least annually, or more frequently in high-risk or dust-laden environments, in accordance with BS 9999.
Defective fire stopping can allow rapid fire and smoke spread, invalidate compartmentation, and result in enforcement action or prosecution.
Fire stopping systems are tested as complete assemblies. Mixing components from different manufacturers can invalidate certification and compromise performance.
Yes. Without compliant access panels, fire dampers cannot be inspected or tested properly, putting the building at risk of non-compliance.
