THE VITAL ROLE OF PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION IN ACHIEVING LEGAL COMPLIANCE UNDER THE 2005 FIRE SAFETY ORDER

摘要

Passive fire protection, that is to say, fire resisting doors, windows, panels, walls, ceilings, floors, screens, partitions and enclosures, is key to the protection of life and property. Those fire fighters who have served on the most active inner city stations will testify to the vital importance of such provisions in the maintenance of effective fire protection, having so often witnessed how a properly rated and installed fire door set, for example, has withstood the powerful effects of a fully developed compartment blaze, saving life and property in doing its intended job. Passive provisions, provided they are properly located and maintained, are, therefore, an essential bulwark against deadly, destructive fire products, especially where active protection is absent or defective. They are the land-based equivalent of the watertight steel shutters employed in the larger sea-goinig vessels.