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Compartmentation surveys are a detailed inspection of each section of a building to ensure the protection of escape routes in the event of a fire.
The survey checks each ‘compartment’ of a building to make sure that if there was a fire, the smoke and flames would be contained for as long as possible to one specific area and prevent the spread of fire so that the building’s occupants can escape and there is minimal damage to the building itself.
A compartmentation survey will involve a fire risk assessor looking at the whole building, or part of a building, to check whether smoke is going to spread out of each specific compartment.
If you imagine the compartment as a fireproof box, the job of a fire safety assessor is to go into that compartment and check for any breaches.
For example, if a door is cut into the fireproof box to allow for access and egress, that door then forms part of the compartment and must also safeguard the compartment.
In the UK, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is a legal requirement to ensure that fire protection measures are in place and maintained.
Identifying weaknesses
A compartmentation survey involves a fire risk assessor looking for compartment breaches and ensuring that they’re competently resealed to protect the fireproof box.
This often involves checking in ceiling voids by removing tiles from suspended ceilings, checking above those suspended ceilings and looking for breaches above doorways to make sure everything is compartmented and fire sealed.
There may also be tiny holes where someone has drilled through walls to put in service pipes or cabling, or there may be broken seals, all of which must be found and addressed.
Damaged doors and floors are also a regular occurrence in a compartmentation survey. Any breaches must be sealed.
By identifying any problem areas and acting upon them, the compartmentation survey can help to protect human life and company assets by proactively preventing fire spread.
Unseen danger
Without a compartmentation survey, the fireproof boxes may be unknowingly threatened, which could pose fatal consequences if a fire was to spread rapidly.
A survey provides a detailed report, often with photographic evidence and recommended actions to maintain the building’s structural integrity against fire.
Ideally the survey should be conducted annually, particularly in high risk buildings, which may contain combustibles, have numerous storeys or house large groups of people.
For more information on fire compartmentation surveys visit https://acornhealthandsafety.co.uk/fire-compartmentation-survey/
