Passive Fire Protection Compliance: A Guide for New Commercial Developments in Ireland

If you’re involved in getting new commercial buildings off the ground in Ireland – whether you’re an architect, a developer, or a contractor – you know there’s a mountain of things to keep track of. One area that’s absolutely crucial, and where we specialise, is Passive Fire Protection, or Fire Firestopping as you’ll often hear it called.

Getting PFP right isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about protecting lives, property, and frankly, It can seem like a bit of a minefield with all the regulations and standards, so I wanted to put together a straightforward guide to help you navigate compliance for your new commercial projects here in Ireland. No jargon, just the essentials explained plain and simple.

First off, What Exactly is Passive Fire Protection?

Think of PFP as the built-in, silent guardian of a building. It’s the stuff like fire-resistant walls, floors, fire doors, and the systems used to seal gaps where services like pipes and cables go through fire-rated structures. Unlike ‘active’ systems (sprinklers, alarms – the ones that need triggering), PFP works automatically by its very design to contain a fire, slow its spread, protect escape routes, and maintain the building’s structural integrity for a specified time. Its job is to buy precious time for people to get out safely and for the fire brigade to arrive and do their work.

The Rules of the Road: Key Irish Regulations You Need to Know

When it comes to fire safety in new builds, you can’t wing it. Ireland has a solid set of rules, and you need to be familiar with them:

1. Building Regulations Part B (Fire Safety) & TGD B: This is the big one. Part B sets out the legal fire safety requirements. Technical Guidance Document B (TGD B) is the practical handbook showing how to meet those requirements. Volume 1 covers commercial buildings. It details everything from how big fire compartments can be, how long structures need to resist fire, what materials you can use on walls and ceilings (using those Euroclass ratings – more on that later), and how escape routes must be designed and protected. Following TGD B is generally the accepted way to show you’re compliant.
2. Fire Safety Certificate (FSC): Before you even think about turning sod on a new commercial build (or major alteration), you need an FSC from your local Building Control Authority. This involves submitting detailed plans and a report showing how your design meets Part B. They review it, maybe ask for changes, and then grant the certificate. Building without one is illegal and can lead to serious hassle, including work stoppages and fines. Think of it as your project’s fire safety passport – you can’t travel without it.
3. Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (BCAR): BCAR brought in a much stricter system to make sure buildings are actually built according to the plans and regulations. Key figures are the Assigned Certifier (a registered professional who oversees inspections) and the requirement for both the Builder and the Assigned Certifier to sign off on completion via the Building Control Management System (BCMS). This sign-off confirms the building meets the regulations, including Part B. Without that final Certificate of Compliance on Completion, the building can’t legally be opened or occupied. It ensures accountability right through the chain.
4. Irish Standards (I.S. 3217 & I.S. 3218): While not strictly passive, these standards for Emergency Lighting (I.S. 3217) and Fire Detection & Alarm Systems (I.S. 3218) are vital parts of the overall fire safety picture and work alongside PFP. Proper emergency lighting guides people out through those protected escape routes PFP maintains, and alarms give the early warning. Compliance with these is expected.
5. Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003: These acts deal more with fire safety once the building is up and running. They place duties on the building owners/occupiers to maintain fire safety measures. Fire officers have the power to inspect buildings and can take enforcement action (including closure orders) if serious risks, like compromised fire doors or missing firestopping, are found. It highlights that PFP isn’t a ‘fit and forget’ job – it needs maintaining.

Don’t Forget Europe: How EU Standards Play Their Part

While our Building Regs are national, EU standards have a massive influence, especially on products:

• Euroclasses (EN 13501): This is the EU’s harmonised system for classifying how building materials react to fire (like combustibility – A1, A2, B, etc.) and how building elements resist fire (like REI 60, meaning it maintains Loadbearing capacity, Integrity, and Insulation for 60 minutes). TGD B uses these ratings directly, so you’ll see them specified constantly for walls, floors, linings, etc.
• Construction Products Regulation (CPR) & CE Marking: This is huge for PFP. Many essential products – fire doors, intumescent coatings, firestopping sealants, cavity barriers – fall under the CPR. If they’re covered by a harmonised European standard (an ‘EN’ standard), they must carry a CE Mark and have a Declaration of Performance. Using non-CE marked products where required is illegal in Ireland and can lead to hefty penalties. Always check for that CE mark on PFP products – it’s your assurance it meets the standard it claims to.

Getting it Right: Compliance Step-by-Step Through Your Project

Achieving compliance isn’t a last-minute scramble; it needs attention right from the start:

1. Planning Stage: Even before detailed design, think about fire safety basics. Site layout for fire brigade access? Sensible locations for escape stairs? Avoid designs that will clearly clash with Part B later on. A quick chat with a fire consultant early doors can save headaches.
2. Design Stage (Critical Phase): This is where the PFP strategy is baked in.
   • Work out your fire compartments and the required fire resistance ratings (30, 60, 90, 120 minutes?) for walls, floors, structural frame.
   • Design clear, protected escape routes meeting travel distance rules.
   • Specify exactly which compliant materials and systems will be used (e.g., “60-minute fire-rated partition system type X,” “Intumescent coating system Y applied to achieve 90 mins FR on steel beams,” “CE-marked firestopping sealant Z around all service penetrations”). Be specific!
   • Prepare and submit your Fire Safety Certificate application. Get this approved before starting work.
3. Construction & Installation Stage: Where the plans meet reality.
   • Use the right stuff: Only install the specified, certified PFP products. No dodgy substitutions! Check for CE marks and certifications on fire doors, sealants, coatings, etc.
   • Workmanship is KEY: This is where things often go wrong. PFP systems must be installed exactly as per the manufacturer’s instructions and test evidence. Firestopping around pipes and cables needs to be done meticulously – even small gaps can let fire and smoke rip through. Cavity barriers need to be properly fitted in voids. Fire doors need correct installation with all the right seals and hardware. At Firestoppers, we see the difference proper installation makes every single day. It’s not just about the product; it’s about putting it in right.
   • Manage changes: If the design changes on site (a new opening needed, services rerouted), assess the impact on fire safety. Consult your fire engineer/Assigned Certifier. Don’t just cut holes in fire walls!
   • Inspections (BCAR): Cooperate with the Assigned Certifier’s inspection plan. Expect checks on structural fire protection, firestopping (often before ceilings go up), and fire door installations. Keep records!
4. Inspection, Handover & Certification Stage: The final hurdles.
   • Snagging: Do thorough checks. Inspect every fire door – does it close and latch properly? Look above ceilings and in risers – is all the firestopping complete? Fix any issues now.
   • Documentation: Compile the Fire Safety File. This needs the FSC, as-built drawings showing fire strategy, all product certifications (fire door certs, intumescent paint records, firestopping details), and maintenance info for the building owner.
   • Final Certification: The Assigned Certifier and Builder sign off the Certificate of Compliance on Completion via BCMS. Once accepted by the Building Control Authority, the building is officially compliant and ready for use.

The Building Blocks: Common PFP Systems You’ll See

In a typical commercial build, you’ll rely on a mix of these:

• Fire-Resistant Walls & Floors: The backbone of compartmentation. Made from concrete, blockwork, or specialised plasterboard systems designed to hold back fire for a set time (e.g., 60 mins).
• Fire Doors: Critical for protecting escape routes (stairs, corridors) and compartment openings. Must be certified (e.g., FD30S – 30-minute fire resistance with cold smoke seals) and correctly installed with all the right bits (frame, seals, closer). Must be kept shut!
• Firestopping: Sealing the inevitable gaps where services (pipes, cables, ducts) pass through fire-rated walls and floors. Uses specialised products like intumescent sealants, collars (for plastic pipes), fire batts, mortars. Absolutely vital – an unsealed hole defeats the purpose of the fire wall. This is our bread and butter at Firestoppers.
• Cavity Barriers: Hidden but essential. These block off voids (above ceilings, in wall cavities, behind cladding) to stop unseen fire spread. Usually mineral wool or intumescent strips placed at strategic locations.
• Structural Fire Protection: Protecting the load-bearing frame (steel beams/columns especially) from collapse in a fire. Common methods are intumescent coatings (paint that swells up in heat to insulate the steel), fire-rated boards, or spray-applied materials. Ensures the building stays standing long enough for evacuation.
• Fire Dampers: Installed in ventilation ducts where they pass through fire walls/floors. They automatically close in a fire to stop flames and smoke travelling through the ductwork.
• Fire-Resistant Glazing: Special glass and frame systems used where you need vision through a fire-rated barrier (e.g., in a corridor wall). Rated just like walls (30, 60 mins).

What Happens If You Get It Wrong? (The Consequences – Best Avoided!)

Cutting corners on PFP is a terrible idea. The fallout can be brutal:

• Legally: Fines, prosecution, enforcement notices, buildings ordered closed. Building Control and Fire Authorities have teeth. Using non-certified products is illegal.
• Financially: Cost of fixing mistakes (ripping out work, retrofitting PFP – hugely expensive), project delays, higher insurance premiums, potentially invalidated insurance claims after a fire, difficulty selling or letting the property, damage to your reputation.
• Life Safety: This is the one that really matters. Poor PFP means fire spreads faster, escape routes become unusable quicker, structures might collapse sooner. It puts occupants and firefighters at serious risk. You don’t want that on your conscience.

Garrett’s Top Tips for Making Compliance Happen

Getting PFP compliance right is achievable with planning and diligence. Here’s my advice:

1. Get Fire Expertise In Early: Don’t wait until the last minute. Engage a competent fire engineer or consultant during the design phase. They’ll help you interpret TGD B correctly and design compliant, practical solutions.
2. Educate Your Whole Team: Make sure everyone – architects, engineers, site managers, subcontractors – understands the fire strategy and the importance of their role in implementing it correctly. Run toolbox talks on firestopping, fire door installation etc.
3. Use Certified Products & Systems ONLY: Specify and install products with the proper testing and certification (CE marking where required). Stick to the spec or ensure any alternative is genuinely equivalent and approved.
4. Document Everything: Clear drawings showing fire strategy are essential. Keep records of installed products (batch numbers, certs), installation checks (photos can be great), and any sign-offs. The BCAR process demands this anyway.
5. Focus on Quality Installation: PFP systems only work if installed correctly. Use competent installers (ideally third-party certified specialists for things like intumescent coatings or complex firestopping). Inspect work before it’s covered up. This isn’t an area for shortcuts.
6. Communicate & Coordinate: Fire protection often involves multiple trades. Ensure good coordination so one trade doesn’t undo another’s work (e.g., M&E services need careful routing and sealing through fire walls installed by the partitions contractor). Talk to each other!
7. Plan for Handover & Maintenance: Give the building owner clear info on the PFP measures installed and what maintenance they need (e.g., checking fire doors, ensuring firestopping isn’t damaged during later works). Compliance is ongoing.
8. Stay Up-to-Date: Regulations and standards change. Make sure you’re working to the current versions of TGD B and relevant Irish Standards.

Wrapping Up

Look, passive fire protection compliance might seem complex, but it’s fundamentally about building safe, resilient buildings. By understanding the requirements, planning properly, using the right products, ensuring quality installation, and documenting everything, you can navigate the process successfully.

It’s about diligence at every stage, from the drawing board right through to handover. Get it right, and you protect lives, investments, and your reputation. Get it wrong, and the consequences can be devastating.

If you ever need advice or services related to passive fire protection installation and certification here in Ireland, you know where we are at Firestoppers.ie. We live and breathe this stuff every day. Stay safe out there.