Fire protection is a crucial element to any business or company, whether the facility is an office or a warehouse as fires can be life-threatening. Ensuring that you have several preventative measures in place can often be the difference between life and death.
In fact, 2022 saw almost 1 million fires, an 11.2% increase in fire-related incidents as well as a tragic increase in fire-related fatalities of 334. A number of these fatalities could have been prevented if the correct measures were in place; therefore, understanding the importance of fire safety is vital.
But how can you better protect those around you – as well as your business – from a threat that can happen in an instant? The solution is to install the correct passive fire protection methods. At FPC, a leading passive fire protection company, we specialise in preventative measures that will provide you with the necessary time to evacuate safely in the event of a fire.
This blog outlines the best passive fire protection products that can help protect you and those around you.
What Is Passive Fire Protection?
Passive fire protection is an essential component of any building, as it helps to prevent the spread of fire and limit the damage it can cause. Passive fire protection systems work by using materials that delay the ignition and growth of a fire, giving occupants more time to escape and firefighters more time to extinguish the blaze.
It’s also important because it can help contain the damage caused by a fire, which can further save lives and property from structural damage or collapse. Passive fire protection works somewhat differently from active fire protection (a more common form of firefighting, such as sprinklers and fire extinguishers). Passive systems are designed to prevent a fire from starting through an array of intumescent or specialised materials that work to either stop the spread of flames or slow down the heat transfer from a fire.
Universal Passive Fire Protection – The UFS
Suitable for pipes, cable trays, and even HVAC ducts, our Universal Fire Sleeve is a multifunctional eco-fire safety product that has outstanding quality and offers excellent protection.
The unique sleeve wrap is a unique passive fire protection solution that helps companies in being environmentally compliant with all necessary legislation and regulations, such as reducing carbon footprint. This is in part to the reduced packaging as well as the reduced emissions needed to manufacture our UFS – it’s made exclusively in the UK.
The UFS is easy to install and requires no mechanical fixings. It’s also a cost-effective alternative to steel counterparts and provides a fire rating of up to 120 minutes.
Structural Protection – Fire Curtains
Ensuring that the structural integrity of a building is crucial to the safety of those evacuating and those entering the building to fight a fire. Installing block grilles and fire pillows into the walls, ceilings and even the floors will offer ample fire protection, our range of premium fire curtains will stop the spread of a fire.
Perfect for large buildings and open areas, such as hallways, doorways, and warehouses, a fire curtain acts as a physical barrier that stops the flames of fire from spreading. At FPC, we offer fire curtains with various fire ratings of up to 120 minutes, all thoroughly tested to the British Standards 476 parts 20/22.
Electrical Protection – Intumescent Downlight Covers
Electrical passive fire protection products such as putty pads and cable trays offer ample protection for sockets but adding intumescent downlight covers will better protect your lights and ceilings. Most commercial interiors will have a suspended ceiling, but many will not be properly protected from flames or billows of smoke spreading upwards in the event of a fire.
Installing downlight covers, fire-rated tiles and luminaires from FPC will help to protect the vertical space above you.
To ensure that your suspended ceiling is installed correctly with the necessary passive fire protection solutions, our partners at JUST MCP will efficiently safeguard your suspended ceilings and mezzanine floors with their professional yet affordable services.
Pipe Protection – Intumescent Pipe Collar
In the event of a fire, pipes often collapse, creating extensive structural damage and allowing the flames to spread.
Our intumescent pipe wrap or collar is a safety device that fits comfortably around any plastic pipework and retains the integrity of your structure. The steel collar casing is internally lined with an intumescent material that expands over a certain temperature, closing off the collapsing pipe.
The hinged design makes it easy to install, while also ensuring durability; our collars come with ratings of up to 4 hours.
Fire Door Protection
When a fire breaks out, fire doors provide a crucial first line of defense. However, doors alone aren’t always enough to prevent fires from spreading, especially when over 76% of fire doors in commercial properties fail inspection.
With “excessive gaps”, “smoke sealing issues” and “poorly adjusted door closers” being reasons for failing inspections, it’s time to better protect your premises and fire doors with our range of passive fire door protection products.
Whether it’s draft seals and intumescent strips, fireproof letter boxes, or acrylic sealant, we have the products to better protect your premises.
Passive Fire Protection with FPC
We are committed to providing simple and effective fire protection solutions for both domestic and commercial properties. We strive to ensure that all our products are fire-rated and fully tested to the highest standard while providing every product at an affordable price.
To browse more of our passive fire protection products, visit our homepage or if you have any further questions, you can contact us directly.
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