Passive Fire Protection Saves Lives

Every second counts when a fire breaks out in a building. Passive fire protection (PFP) works to save lives by preventing the spread of fire and smoke, buying time for evacuation, and ensuring escape routes remain intact.

Unlike active fire systems, which rely on sensors and alarms, passive fire protection is a long-term safety measure that is built into the structure of a building. In this blog, we’ll take a look at the passive fire protection services from our specialists to discover how they can be the difference between life and death in an emergency.

1. Strengthening building structures with intumescent paint

Intumescent paint plays a key role in ensuring a building’s structural integrity is maintained during a fire. As temperatures rise, this special paint expands to form an insulating layer that helps to keep the steel intact. As a result, intumescent coatings services help prevent critical structural elements from weakening or collapsing, while giving occupants more time to make a safe escape.

2. Containing fire and smoke with fire stopping

Fire compartmentation is crucial for slowing down the spread of fire and smoke, especially in larger buildings. At TBL, our fire stopping contractors focus on sealing gaps and penetrations in walls, floors, and ceilings with fire-resistant materials. This process is vital for compartmentalising a building, and by containing the fire in its early stages, it allows for clear escape routes and more time for emergency services to arrive.

3. Protecting critical areas with fire barriers

When it comes to preventing fire from spreading, fire barriers are indispensable. Made from fire-resistant materials, these barriers are placed in high-risk areas like corridors, stairwells, and around important infrastructure.

At TBL, our fire barrier services ensure these vital parts of a building are protected from fire damage, allowing for safe evacuation while the fire is contained. In high-rise buildings or large industrial spaces, fire barriers can be the difference between a contained fire and a full-blown disaster.

4. Creating safe spaces with air sealing and sound attenuation

Air sealing plays an important role in fire protection. By sealing gaps and joints around doors, windows, and ducts, air sealing stops smoke and toxic gases from spreading throughout a building. This is especially important in multi-story buildings where smoke can quickly move to upper floors and trap occupants.

Similarly, sound attenuation ensures safety alarms and evacuation instructions are clearly heard during the event of a fire.

5. Reducing fire risks with timber and fabric protection

While steel and concrete are commonly protected, other materials like timber and fabric can also be at risk during a fire. Here at TBL, our timber and fabric protection services involve applying fire retardant treatments to these materials to slow down the spread of flames.

This added layer of protection gives people more time to evacuate and reduces the overall fire load within a building to ensure fire hazards are effectively minimised.

6. Surveying

To maintain an effective passive fire protection system, regular surveys are highly important. At TBL, our fire compartmentation surveys assess a building’s compliance with fire safety regulations and makes sure all fire protection measures are functioning as they should.

By identifying potential risks and rectifying them before an emergency occurs, these surveys ensure fire safety systems are always up to date and ready to protect lives when needed.

Lifesaving Protection for Every Building

Passive fire protection services are crucial for ensuring the safety of people in the event of a fire. With a full range of services, TBL Fire Protection remain committed to providing the highest standard of fire protection services that can save lives.

As a trusted and accredited passive fire company, we’re here to ensure every building is as safe as possible in the event of an emergency.

Get in touch with our team today for life-saving passive fire protection solutions you can trust.