Raising Awareness of Fire Compartmentation Among Non-Technical Staff

Fire safety is often thought of in terms of alarms, extinguishers, and evacuation plans. But a critical component that is more subtle and passive – that many people are unaware of – is fire compartmentation. Fire compartmentation refers to how buildings are divided into fire-resisting sections (compartments) by walls, floors, doors etc., to prevent or slow the spread of fire and smoke. In the UK, this is part of the passive fire protection regime, underpinned by regulation, standards, and guidance.

For non-technical staff (e.g. cleaners, receptionists, security, administrative roles, porters etc.), understanding compartmentation is vital. Their actions (or inactions) can compromise fire safety without anyone realising – for example, by propping fire doors open, allowing service cables to pass through walls without proper sealing, or failing to report damage.

Regulatory & Legal Context in the UK

To ground understanding, here are the relevant laws, regulations, and guidance:

• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) makes someone(s) the Responsible Person in any non-domestic premises (and communal parts of residential buildings) responsible for carrying out fire risk assessments, maintaining fire safety measures, etc. Among those measures are fire doors, fire resisting walls/floors, and ensuring fire compartmentation is kept intact.

• Building Regulations, notably Approved Document B (Fire Safety), set the technical requirements for fire compartmentation (e.g. how resistant fire-walls/floors must be, requirements for fire doors, fire-stopping for service penetrations etc.).

• More recent legal updates, e.g. Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, and the Building Safety Act 2022,impose new duties / inspection regimes, especially in multi-occupancy high-rise residential buildings. Among these are regular checks of fire doors, audits etc.

• Guidance for people with duties under fire law emphasises that Responsible Persons should ensure compartmentation is regularly checked, particularly after any works or alterations that might breach or damage it. Such guidance also notes that non-technical staff (and contractors) need to understand what to look out for and to be able to report issues.

Why It Matters: Risks from Poor Compartmentation

Here are practical risks that non-technical staff should understand:

• Faster spread of fire and smoke If compartment walls/floors are breached (e.g. gaps, unsealed penetrations, damaged or ill-fitting fire doors), the fire and smoke can more easily spread. This shortens evacuation time and increases danger.

• Escape routes compromised Protected corridors or staircases rely on compartmentation to remain smoke-free and fire-safe. If that fails, it becomes harder or impossible to escape safely.

• Legal liability and compliance failure The Responsible Person can be held accountable under the FSO for breaches. Lack of maintenance or failure to notice or report damage could be deemed negligence.

• Cost / property damage If fire spreads unchecked, damage is more extensive. Insurance costs, repair costs, and business interruption increase.

• Reputation / occupancy For workplaces, residential or public buildings, visible breaches (e.g. burnt doors, missing seals) can erode trust. In residential blocks, residents often notice and complain about propped fire doors etc.

Common Weaknesses / Breaches to Look Out For

Non-technical staff should be made aware of common ways compartmentation is damaged, even unintentionally:

• Fire doors being propped open (or held open) instead of closing automatically.

• Damage to door frames or doors, missing smoke seals or gaps around doors.

• Unsealed or poorly sealed penetrations (holes) for pipes, cables, ductwork in walls or floors.

• False ceilings, suspended ceilings, or service voids where walls don’t extend up to a common ceiling or roof.

• Alterations or maintenance works (e.g. installation of wiring, plumbing) that remove or cut through fire resisting construction and are not restored.

• Poor maintenance, wear and tear (e.g. fire door self-closers failing, seals worn out).

How to Raise Awareness Among Non-Technical Staff

Here are practical steps organisations can take to ensure non-technical staff understand fire compartmentation and their role in maintaining it:

• Training & Induction – Include basic fire compartmentation principles in staff induction: what is a compartment, why fire doors matter, what service penetrations are, etc.

• Visual Aids – Use signage, posters, floor plans showing compartment lines, fire doors, escape routes. Highlight where staff should not damage or interfere.

• Regular Inspections & Reporting – Train staff to spot simple issues: door left open, gap in floor/wall, visible damage, or anything that looks like a breach. Provide easy means to report these (e.g. helpdesk / walkie / app).

• Maintenance Protocols – Ensure any work or maintenance (electrical, plumbing, decoration, etc.) is reviewed for possible impact on compartmentation. Non-technical staff often help coordinate or supervise these works. They should be aware of when/why to escalate.

• Mock Drills / Scenario Exercises – Practice not just evacuation, but what happens if compartmentation is breached: what to look out for, immediate steps to isolate or report etc.

• Communication after Works – After any building works, inform staff: “this wall / ceiling / fire door may have been affected; check that everything is restored and remains sealed.”

• Managerial Buy-in – Senior management / Responsible Persons need to show that compartmentation integrity is a priority. If issues are raised, they must lead to prompt action. Cultivating a culture of safety.

Key Messages for Non-Technical Staff

When training or awareness-raising, some straightforward messages help:

• “A closed fire door is your friend” – always ensure that fire doors close; don’t prop them open.

• “Seals and closers matter” – even if the door looks intact, worn seals or broken closers severely degrade performance.

• “Don’t ignore small holes” – a small penetration for a cable or pipe can become a major breach.

• “Report everything unusual” – cracked walls, gaps, strange smells of smoke, or signs of fire damage.

• “If in doubt, ask” – better to ask than to assume something is OK.

Challenges / Barriers & How to Overcome Them

Some reasons non-technical staff might not understand or act on compartmentation issues include:

• Lack of visible feedback: Unlike alarms or sprinklers, compartmentation is largely invisible unless something is wrong.

• Technical complexity: The details (fire ratings, approvals etc.) are technical and often not intuitive.

• Perception of ownership: Staff may think compartmentation is “the builders’ / technical folks’ problem”.

• Inertia / risk of disruption: Fire doors may be propped open for convenience, or penetrations done for expediency without restoration.

Overcoming this requires simplifying messages, giving concrete examples, making it part of everyone’s responsibilities, and recognising staff who report issues.

Case Examples (Short Anecdotes)

• A building where service cables were run through a wall, but the gap around them was left unsealed, allowing smoke to pass along the cable duct up to staircases.

• A hotel where a fire door closers were broken; staff assumed it would be replaced “sometime”, but by the time maintenance was scheduled, tenants had already raised complaints about smell of smoke, and escape via corridor was compromised in a minor fire.

(Use local or known examples if possible – they make the message real.)

Legal & Corporate Implications

• Under the FSO, non-compliance (including not maintaining passive fire protection / compartmentation) can lead to enforcement, fines, even closure.

• Insurance may be jeopardised or premiums rise if compartmentation is found deficient.

• Duty of care: the organisation could face liability if someone is harmed and it is shown fire safety measures were compromised.

• Reputational damage, especially in multi-occupancy residential or public-facing sectors.

Fire compartmentation may not be visible. It may not trigger alarms. But it is one of the foundational elements of fire safety in buildings. For non-technical staff, knowing what to look for and reporting issues can make a real difference. Organisations that invest in awareness help ensure that their buildings remain genuinely safe, not just on paper.