Healthcare Fire Stopping

Passive Fire Protection for the Healthcare Sector & NHS

Dedicated for the safety and wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors, our passive fire protection services are designed to safeguard the healthcare sector. With a proven track record of providing quality fire protection solutions, we understand the unique challenges faced by healthcare facilities and offer tailored solutions to ensure compliance with all regulations and standards.

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Experienced Healthcare Passive Fire Protection

Our team comprises skilled professionals with extensive expertise in installing a diverse range of passive fire protection systems for various healthcare buildings. The most efficient method of combating fires is to confine them within a single compartment, and this is where passive fire protection systems prove invaluable.

Our purpose-built systems are meticulously engineered to prevent the rapid spread of fire and smoke, safeguarding lives by creating vital evacuation time. By partnering with Ark Fire Protection, a trusted and experienced provider of Passive Fire Protection (PFP) solutions, you can ensure that your building is equipped with the most dependable and effective measures available.

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Ark's Healthcare Passive Fire Protection Services

Browse our complete range of passive fire protection services available for our healthcare clients. The two most important goals of passive fire protection are to make a structure safer for evacuation and to stop a fire from becoming a danger to life. Browse our services below to see how Ark Fire Protection can help safeguard your property.

Fire Stopping

Fire stopping involves sealing openings to prevent the passage of fire, smoke, and heat between different areas of a building. By establishing fire-resistant compartments vertically and horizontally, the spread of fire can be efficiently contained within healthcare facilities. Implementing effective fire stopping measures is vital for limiting the spread of fire and safeguarding valuable assets.

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Fire Doors

Fire doors are a widely used solution for creating compartmentation within buildings. At Ark Fire Protection, we offer a range of services related to fire doors. Whether you require a new door closer or a complete fire door upgrade for your healthcare facility, our fire door maintenance services come with third-party accreditation.

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Intumescent Coatings

Intumescent coatings provide a proven and effective solution to protect healthcare buildings from structural damage risks. Our rigorous testing ensures that all our coatings meet EU standards, giving our customers confidence in the advanced fire protection of their buildings. With our superior defence against potential threats, you can rest assured that your property’s structural elements are well-equipped.

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External Fire Barriers

External Fire Barrier systems provide a comprehensive solution to prevent the spread of fire and smoke in healthcare premises, particularly in roof and ceiling areas, as well as concealed voids. These fire barrier systems are specifically designed to effectively cover voids up to 10.5 metres. Vertical fire barrier systems offer a combination of insulation and integrity, delivering up to 120 minutes of protection.

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Fire Curtains

Ark Fire Protection specialises in the installation and maintenance of fire curtains crafted from flexible fibre. These curtains are purposefully designed for areas that are difficult to access or lack structural support, such as ceiling voids or lofts. Whether you require integrity or insulation, we offer a comprehensive range of fire curtains tailored to the unique requirements of our healthcare clients.

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Partitions

Fire partitioning is an essential safety precaution implemented during the construction of healthcare facilities to prevent the rapid spread of fire. It involves constructing internal walls and ceilings that contain the fire within a specific room or area of the building for a limited period. This strategic approach allows occupants to quickly identify escape routes while minimising damage to the overall structure.

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Fire Remedial Works

Our fire risk assessment (FRA) services for healthcare buildings involve the reinstatement or enhancement of various passive fire protection measures that currently fall short of the required fire safety standards. Through our remedial works, we aim to elevate your building’s fire safety standards to the appropriate level, ensuring compliance with current guidelines and regulations.

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Whether you have questions, require further information, or would like to discuss your specific needs for passive fire protection solutions, our dedicated team is here to assist you.

Accredited Healthcare Passive Fire Protection

When it comes to Passive Fire Protection, you need a company that you can rely on. Ark Fire Protection is proud to be accredited by the leading industry bodies – ensuring that we always meet the highest standards of quality and safety, and that our customers can always expect a first-class service.

We’re also ISO 9001 certified, meaning that our quality management systems are regularly audited and approved. So when you choose Ark Fire Protection, you can be confident that you’re making the best possible decision for your property.

End-to-End Healthcare Passive Fire Protection Solutions

At Ark Fire Protection, we offer comprehensive passive fire protection solutions tailored for healthcare properties. Our services encompass everything from design and installation to maintenance and remedial works. With our all-inclusive approach, you can be confident that your building will be equipped with state-of-the-art PFP systems, meeting the highest industry standards. Safeguard your healthcare premises against fire hazards by entrusting us with their protection. Reach out to us today to discover more about our services and how we can help secure your business or healthcare property.

Great healthcare passive fire protection projects start with great technology

Onetrace is a powerful cloud-based application that is supporting Ark Fire Protection to raise standards across the fire protection industry.

Providing Ark with one system to capture, monitor, review and report on all fire protection work being conducted in real time.

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Ark's Healthcare Passive Fire Protection

Ark Fire Protection can supply and install a full range of solutions for fire stopping not limited to but including, load-bearing compound fire seals, batt and mastic seals, graphite’s, wraps, collars and linear joint seals incorporating deflection when needed. All fire stopping installations are third party accredited by FIRAS scheme, Health & Safety accredited and ISO 9001 quality assured.

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Fire Stopping Regulations for Healthcare Facilities

Ark Fire Protection ensures that buildings remain in compliance with fire regulations. Our team of experts provides a wide range of passive fire protection products to assist you in meeting these standards efficiently and effectively.

According to the 2020 amendments to the Building Regulations Act of 2010 on Fire Safety for Volume 1: Dwellings, buildings should prevent the spread of fire through internal linings while also meeting other requirements:

The premature collapse of the structure is avoided
Adequate measures have been taken to ensure that there is enough distance between buildings and within buildings to prevent the spread of fire
Wherever it is needed, automatic fire suppression is available.
The spread of fire and smoke in cavities is limited

The document and its amendments detail the proper procedures for implementing fire stopping measures. Our team of experts is ready to offer valuable assistance throughout this process, ensuring the utmost protection for healthcare facilities.

What Is Passive Fire Protection in Healthcare Buildings and Why Is It Important?

Passive fire protection in healthcare settings refers to built-in fire safety measures that prevent the spread of fire and smoke, protect critical escape routes, and maintain the structural integrity of buildings without requiring activation. These systems are integrated into the fabric of hospitals, clinics, care homes, and NHS facilities and are designed to perform continuously throughout the building’s life.

In healthcare environments, patients, visitors, and staff may include vulnerable individuals who need time and assistance to evacuate. Complex circulation routes, high occupancy levels, and a mix of ward types and treatment areas increase fire safety challenges. Effective passive fire protection helps contain fire and smoke within specific compartments, supporting orderly evacuation, protecting critical care areas, and reducing disruption to lifesaving services. In the UK, these measures are essential for compliance with Building Regulations Approved Document B and the duties placed on healthcare providers under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Benefits of Passive Fire Protection in Healthcare & NHS Facilities

Protects vulnerable occupants

Passive fire protection helps slow the spread of fire and smoke, giving patients – particularly those with limited mobility – extra time to evacuate or be moved to safer zones within a building.

Supports clinical continuity

By containing fire to a limited area, passive fire protection helps safeguard critical treatment zones, operating theatres, diagnostic facilities, pharmacy areas, and IT systems that support patient care and records.

Enhances regulatory compliance

Meeting fire compartmentation, fire door, and fire stopping requirements supports compliance with UK fire safety law and aligns with NHS fire safety policies and healthcare commissioning standards.

Reduces operational disruption

Containing fire and smoke limits damage to infrastructure and equipment, reducing costly downtime for critical healthcare services and lessening the need to relocate patients during repair works.

Supports phased evacuation strategies

Healthcare fire strategies often depend on phased evacuation. Passive systems help maintain safe zones, allowing staff to move patients in stages rather than conducting full building evacuations unnecessarily.

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Healthcare & NHS Passive Fire Protection FAQs

What passive fire protection measures are needed in healthcare buildings?

Healthcare facilities typically require fire resisting walls and floors, fire doors with appropriate ratings, fire stopping around services, cavity and fire barriers, and fire resistant coatings on structural elements. Each measure helps maintain compartmentation and supports patient and staff safety.

How does passive fire protection differ in healthcare compared to other sectors?

Healthcare buildings often accommodate patients with limited mobility, long length of stay, and varying levels of consciousness. This increases the importance of compartmentation, protected escape routes, and occupancy-specific fire strategies compared to sectors like retail or office spaces.

Who is responsible for passive fire protection in NHS and healthcare buildings?

The responsible person – often the Trust’s fire safety lead, facilities manager, or healthcare provider – is legally accountable under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for ensuring systems are installed, maintained, and documented.

How often should passive fire protection be inspected in healthcare settings?

Inspections should be carried out at least annually, with additional reviews whenever clinical areas are reconfigured, services are moved, or major refurbishment occurs. High-use zones such as patient wards and emergency areas may require more frequent inspections.

Can passive fire protection be tailored to phased evacuation plans?

Yes. Effective passive fire protection supports phased or progressive evacuation strategies by maintaining zones of refuge and limiting fire spread, giving staff the time needed to safely relocate patients.

What happens if passive fire protection defects are found in a healthcare building?

Defects should be addressed promptly through remedial works to restore compartmentation and compliance. Delays can compromise patient safety, increase risk, and attract enforcement action from regulators.