Frequently
asked questions.
Clear answers to common questions about passive fire protection, building safety responsibilities, compliance and evidence.
From understanding who holds responsibility to demonstrating what was installed, ember helps make complex passive fire requirements clearer.
BUILDING SAFETY & RESPONSIBILITIES
Who does what?
Building safety involves a number of statutory roles. Understanding where responsibilities sit is an important starting point for managing passive fire protection effectively.
What is a Responsible Person?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person has legal duties for fire safety within relevant premises. Depending on the circumstances, this may be an employer, owner, landlord, managing agent or another person with control of the premises. Their duties include taking general fire precautions and ensuring fire risks are appropriately assessed and managed.
What is an Accountable Person?
Under the Building Safety Act, an Accountable Person is an organisation or individual with specified legal responsibilities for the repair of the structure and exterior of an occupied higher-risk building, or for the maintenance of its common parts. Accountable Persons have duties relating to the assessment and management of building safety risks.
What is a Principal Accountable Person?
The Principal Accountable Person is the Accountable Person responsible for the structure and exterior of an occupied higher-risk building. Where there is only one Accountable Person, they will also be the Principal Accountable Person. The role carries additional responsibilities within the higher-risk building regime.
What are the responsibilities of a Principal Contractor?
For work subject to the Building Regulations dutyholder regime, the Principal Contractor must plan, manage and monitor the building work during the construction phase and coordinate matters relating to compliance with Building Regulations. They must also ensure those they appoint are competent for the work they undertake.
PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION
Built in. Designed to perform.
Passive fire protection forms part of the building itself, helping contain fire and smoke, protect escape routes and support the performance intended by the fire strategy.
What is passive fire protection?
Passive fire protection is built into the fabric of a building to help restrict the spread of fire and smoke. Measures include fire stopping, compartmentation, cavity barriers, fire doors and fire and smoke dampers. Together, these systems help maintain compartmentation and protect occupants and escape routes.
What is fire compartmentation?
Compartmentation divides a building into fire-resisting areas using elements such as walls, floors, doors and associated fire-stopping systems. Its purpose is to restrict the spread of fire and smoke for a defined period and support the building’s overall fire strategy.
What is fire stopping?
Fire stopping reinstates the fire resistance of walls and floors where openings or penetrations have been created for building services, joints or other elements. Systems need to be correctly selected for the particular substrate, penetration and required performance rather than treated as a generic product application.
Why are cavity barriers important?
Concealed cavities can provide a route for fire and smoke to spread unseen through a building. Correctly positioned and installed cavity barriers restrict that movement and help maintain the intended fire performance of the building envelope and internal construction.
Why is the complete fire doorset important?
A fire door’s performance depends on more than the door leaf. The frame, glazing, seals, ironmongery, gaps, fixings and installation all contribute to the performance of the complete doorset. Alterations or defects affecting any of these components can compromise its effectiveness.
COMPLIANCE & EVIDENCE
Installed isn't enough. It has to be proven.
Passive fire protection needs to be correctly specified and installed, but today’s building safety environment also demands clear evidence of what was done, where and how.
What is the golden thread of building information?
The golden thread is the information required to understand a building and manage its safety. It should be accurate, accessible, understandable and kept up to date. For passive fire protection, this means maintaining reliable records of specifications, systems, locations, installation and supporting evidence.
What evidence should passive fire protection works include?
Requirements vary between projects, but records may include approved specifications, tested system details, product information, installation photographs, location references, inspection records, certification and records of remedial actions. Ember builds evidence capture into the delivery process rather than treating it as an afterthought.
What is Gateway 2?
Gateway 2 is a key stage in the building control process for higher-risk building work. Building control approval from the Building Safety Regulator is required before relevant building work can begin. Applications need to contain sufficient design and compliance information to demonstrate how the proposed work meets Building Regulations requirements.
Can passive fire products simply be substituted on site?
Not without proper consideration. Passive fire systems are tested and classified in defined configurations. Changing a product, substrate, penetration, fixing arrangement or other component can affect whether the proposed detail remains supported by appropriate evidence. Substitutions therefore need to be technically assessed rather than made solely on availability or cost.
WORKING WITH EMBER
From uncertainty to evidence.
Passive fire protection forms part of the building itself, helping contain fire and smoke, protect escape routes and support the performance intended by the fire strategy.
Can ember survey existing passive fire protection?
Yes. ember undertakes passive fire surveys and inspections to identify defects, breaches and areas requiring further investigation. Findings can then inform a clear and prioritised programme of remedial works.
Does ember only work on higher-risk buildings?
No. Although the Building Safety Act has introduced additional requirements for higher-risk buildings, the principles of correct specification, competent installation and appropriate evidence apply much more widely. ember supports passive fire projects across residential, commercial and other built environments.
Can ember become involved before installation begins?
Yes – and early involvement can be particularly valuable. Reviewing the fire strategy, design information, interfaces and proposed passive fire systems before work starts can identify potential problems before they become expensive site issues.
Why choose ember rather than a standard passive fire contractor?
ember goes beyond installation. We seek to understand the building and its requirements, develop defensible scopes, deliver passive fire measures correctly and capture evidence throughout the works. The result is a clearer line from design intent and specification through installation to completion.
Every building is different.
If you have a question about an existing building, planned works or a passive fire issue that isn’t covered here, talk to our team.
Discuss your project →