Quelfire issues timely reminder on ‘Because It’s Your Job to Know’ campaign

Now, Quelfire has reiterated the key elements of the campaign in a determined bid to emphasise once again how important it is for practising professionals to recognise the vital role they play in fire stopping.

Whose job is it to know? What do you need to know? When and how should you act and, more importantly, why?

Fire stopping is complex in nature. It’s not as simple as purchasing and installing products. The effectiveness of the fire stop itself relies on factors like the design, installation, substrate and required services.

Many trades – from dry liners through to M&E contractors and on again to wall manufacturers – directly affect the efficiency of the whole system. On that basis, all stakeholders involved in the design and installation of service penetration seals must communicate effectively in order to ensure that a given building is constructed around tested details.

One key aspect is recognising the importance of compartmentation and how products are tested and installed. It also involves knowing when an individual is needed in the fire stopping process (and, more specifically, at what RIBA stages). Responsibility is essential at each stage as actions can have a cascading effect on the next stage, either positive or negative in nature, depending on the level of commitment from individuals.

Never too late for change

Central to this understanding is for practising individuals to know their competence and recognise when something is outside of it.

Quelfire believes it’s never too late for professionals to change the way in which they work. Taking proactive steps to do it right the first time will prove more beneficial than waiting for the Government.

Change can take many forms. Education is one way in which the industry can advocate this through attending Continuing Professional Development courses/events or product-specific training, participating in early engagement meetings and creating sample boards as a benchmark for compliant installations.

Why is all of this important? Why is it the industry’s job to know? Ultimately, the reason for compliant fire stopping is to save lives. This instils confidence that the seals will work as intended in the event of a fire episode.

Additionally, considering service penetration sealing early on in any build project will facilitate the installation stage. It allows all parties to understand the design and use the chosen manufacturer’s support, ensuring that installations align with the tested details and the manufacturer’s guidance.

Tested details

As a business, Quelfire often discusses the importance of installations aligning with the tested details. If fire stopping isn’t considered when decisions are made about the location of compartment lines and the central routes of M&E services, there’s no guarantee the manufacturer will have a tested solution.

Put simply, discovering these discrepancies later on in the project can lead to extra costs and delays due to the requirement for redesigning service penetrations.

*Download Quelfire’s White Paper entitled Early Engagement in Fire Stopping