Fire stopping and compartmentation Southampton

Fire stopping and compartmentation for Southampton buildings

Southampton combines port and logistics premises, student accommodation and city-centre flats, each with very different fire detection needs.

Compartmentation is what stops a fire in one flat or room from becoming a fire in the whole building. It depends on walls, floors and ceilings that keep their fire resistance where pipes, cables and ducts pass through them. Every time a contractor drills a hole and does not seal it properly, the building gets a little less safe.

A compartmentation survey goes into risers, ceiling voids, loft spaces and service cupboards to find and photograph breaches. Each one is located on a plan, described, and given a priority. Remedial fire stopping is then carried out using tested products installed to the manufacturer's details, and each seal is photographed and labelled.

The rules that apply in Southampton

Occupied buildings in England at least 18 metres or seven storeys high with two or more residential units are higher-risk buildings. They must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator, and the Principal Accountable Person must prepare a safety case report that can be called in at any time.

What is included

Intrusive compartmentation survey with photos and plans
Breach register ranked by priority
Fire stopping with tested and certified products
Before and after photographs for every seal
Penetration labelling and seal register
Fire damper and cavity barrier checks

Buildings we work on in Southampton

Blocks of flats
HMO conversions
Hotels
Care homes
Offices
Student accommodation

Areas we cover from Southampton

From Southampton we also cover Winchester (11 miles), Portsmouth (15 miles), Newport (Isle of Wight) (15 miles), Salisbury (20 miles) and Bournemouth (25 miles). Elsewhere in Hampshire we work in Portsmouth, Basingstoke and Winchester. If your building is not in a listed town, we still cover it: every enquiry for fire stopping and compartmentation in South East England is handled the same way.

How a job runs

Tell us about the building

Use the form or send us your fire risk assessment action plan. A few details on height, use and current systems are enough to start.

Survey or desktop review

Where we need to see the building, we visit. For some jobs, such as EWS1 scoping, we start with the documents you already hold.

Fixed quote

You get a written, fixed price with a clear scope. Nothing chargeable happens without your approval.

Work and certification

Our engineers carry out the work and leave the right certificates, photographs and logbook entries.

Records and reminders

Reports are filed by building and we remind you before the next test, inspection or review is due.

Fire stopping and compartmentation in Southampton: questions

Do you provide fire stopping and compartmentation in Southampton?

Yes. We carry out fire stopping and compartmentation in Southampton and across Hampshire, including Winchester, Portsmouth, Newport (Isle of Wight), Salisbury. Use the form to tell us about the building and we will reply within one working day.

Which fire and rescue service covers Southampton?

Southampton is covered by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, which enforces fire safety law for non-domestic premises and the common parts of residential buildings in the area.

What is a compartmentation survey?

An inspection of the walls, floors and ceilings that are meant to contain a fire, looking for gaps and unsealed service penetrations that would let fire and smoke spread.

Is a Type 3 or Type 4 fire risk assessment the same thing?

A Type 3 or Type 4 assessment includes some destructive inspection of flats or common parts. A compartmentation survey is a more detailed, location-by-location record and is usually what the action plan calls for.

Do you use certified products?

Yes. We install tested fire stopping products to the manufacturer's details and record the product and the substrate for every seal.

Fire stopping and compartmentation in Southampton