High Temperatures and Fire Risk: the importance of Passive Fire Protection for businesses

Heatwaves are not necessarily a direct cause of fires inside buildings, but they can contribute to more critical operating conditions: increased use of air-conditioning systems, higher electrical loads, overheating equipment, the presence of drier materials—such as those used in green façades—and maintenance activities carried out under more challenging environmental conditions.

In this context, fire safety cannot be addressed solely from the perspective of preventing ignition. The building’s ability to contain the event, protect unaffected areas and limit the impact on business continuity must also be assessed.

Passive fire protection therefore becomes an essential element.

For a business, the consequences of a fire are not limited to the direct damage caused by flames. The involvement of production departments, warehouses, plant rooms, data centres or logistics areas can result in business interruption, equipment downtime, the loss of materials and information, failure to meet delivery deadlines, and significant financial and reputational consequences.

Correctly designed and maintained fire compartmentation helps limit the spread of fire, reducing the likelihood that a localised event will progressively involve the entire building.

Passive fire protection should therefore be regarded not merely as a design or regulatory requirement, but as an integral part of business continuity and corporate asset protection strategies.

The Critical Role of Fire Compartmentation

The performance of a fire-resistant wall or floor depends on the continuity of the entire system. Service penetrations, structural joints, service shafts and alterations carried out after construction can create vulnerable points through which flames, heat and smoke may spread to adjacent compartments.

The issue is not simply whether a firestop seal is present, but whether it actually corresponds to the installed configuration.

The type of supporting construction, opening dimensions, pipe characteristics, presence of insulation, number of cables, distances between services, penetration orientation and required fire resistance class are all factors that affect the selection and performance of the system.

The most common risk is not necessarily the complete absence of a passive fire protection solution. Rather, it is the presence of systems that, following alterations, extensions or uncoordinated work, no longer correspond to the configuration for which they were originally designed.

Building services alterations and change Management

Corporate buildings are constantly evolving. New production lines, extensions to electrical systems, the installation of technological equipment, changes to data networks or maintenance work may require new penetrations or alterations to existing ones.

When these activities are not accompanied by an assessment of the fire compartmentation, they may compromise systems that were initially compliant.

Adding cables to an existing firestop seal, removing a pipe, enlarging an opening or using materials other than those originally specified can significantly alter the system’s behaviour in the event of a fire.

Since this type of work is not always recorded or brought to the attention of fire safety managers, passive fire protection management should be integrated into company processes. Every intervention involving building services should include an assessment of the barriers penetrated, the installed solution and the relevant documentation—not only during refurbishment projects, but also through periodic fire safety inspections.

Passive fire protection solutions must be selected according to the actual application conditions and installed in accordance with tested and classified configurations. Unapproved combinations of products, insufficient thicknesses, incorrect distances or non-compliant fixing methods may compromise the performance of the compartmentation.

Preventive technical assessment is particularly important in more complex situations, including:
- multiple or mixed penetrations;
- high concentrations of building services;
- insulated pipes;
- flexible walls;
- large openings;
- movement joints;
- work on existing buildings;
- configurations that cannot be directly associated with a standard solution.

In these cases, cooperation between the designer, manufacturer, contractor and installer makes it possible to identify the most appropriate solution before work begins, reducing the risk of non-compliant installations and subsequent rework.

Passive Fire Protection and Risk Management

High temperatures, overloaded systems and more demanding operating conditions may increase awareness of fire risk. However, a company’s ability to manage this risk depends on design and management decisions that must be developed and maintained over time.

Passive fire protection must therefore be designed in relation to actual application conditions, installed correctly, documented and maintained throughout the building’s entire service life.

AF Systems supports designers, contractors, installers and businesses in developing solutions for service penetrations, structural joints and fire compartmentation, providing assistance from the design stage through to on-site support.

Because the safety of fire compartmentation depends not only on how it was designed, but also on how it is managed over time.