Fire Safety Failures Discovered Across a Multi-Storey Building

Fire compartmentation is one of the most important, and most overlooked, elements of building fire safety. When fire compartments fail, smoke and flames can spread rapidly through escape routes, riser cupboards, service voids and communal areas, putting lives at risk and compromising evacuation procedures.

A recent project completed by Meritas uncovered multiple fire compartmentation non-conformities throughout a multi-storey residential and commercial building, demonstrating how hidden defects can exist across several floors without building occupants even realising it.

The Problem: Widespread Fire Compartmentation Non-conformities

During inspections carried out across numerous floors within the property, significant non-conformities were identified in fire escape stairwells, riser cupboards and access points. The defects were repeated throughout the building and included:

• Inadequate or non-compliant wooden riser cupboards
• Unprotected service voids
• Poorly sealed penetrations
• Missing or insufficient fire-resistant barriers
• Access panels without appropriate fire ratings

The non-conformities were discovered on multiple levels, including first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh-floor escape stairwells, as well as mezzanine-level areas.

In several locations, existing wooden riser cupboard frames had to be completely removed because they did not provide the necessary fire resistance.

Why This Was a Serious Fire Safety Risk

Fire compartments are designed to contain fire and smoke within a defined area for a specified period of time. When non-conformities occur, fire can spread through concealed voids and escape routes far faster than expected.

In this case, many of the non-conformities were located directly within fire escape stairwells, areas specifically intended to provide safe evacuation routes during an emergency. Any compromise to these protected routes could have had severe consequences for the building and its occupants.

The inspections also highlighted an important issue seen frequently in older or modified buildings: historical alterations and maintenance work that unintentionally compromise fire protection systems over time.

How Meritas Resolved the Issues

Meritas carried out a comprehensive programme of fire compartmentation remediation works throughout the building. The solution involved installing robust passive fire protection systems designed to restore compartment integrity and improve overall building safety.

Works included:

• Removal of non-compliant wooden riser cupboards and frames
• Installation of double-layered, double-sided fire-rated plasterboard systems
• Installation of 60-minute fire-rated access hatches
• Sealing of all joints, edges and penetrations with intumescent sealant
• Use of fire-rated stud systems and tracks
• Installation of staggered joint systems to improve fire resistance performance

Attention to Detail Matters

One of the most important aspects of effective passive fire protection is ensuring that every joint, screw head and penetration is properly treated.

According to the report, all plasterboard systems were installed with staggered joints and sealed in accordance with manufacturer instructions, with all exposed joints and screw heads protected to maintain the fire rating.

This level of detail is critical because even small gaps can allow smoke and fire to spread.

The Importance of Regular Fire Compartmentation Inspections

Many fire compartmentation defects remain hidden above ceilings, behind risers or inside service voids for years. Buildings that have undergone refurbishment, maintenance or contractor works are particularly vulnerable to non-conformities being introduced over time.

This project highlights why regular fire compartmentation inspections are essential for:

• Residential buildings
• Commercial premises
• Mixed-use developments
• High-rise properties
• Buildings with complex service installations

Without proper inspection and remediation, these hidden defects can severely compromise life safety systems.

Protecting Buildings Through Passive Fire Protection

Passive fire protection is not simply a compliance exercise – it is a critical life safety system that protects occupants, limits property damage and supports safe evacuation during emergencies.

By identifying and resolving compartmentation failures across this multi-storey building, Meritas helped restore the integrity of the building’s fire protection strategy and significantly improve overall safety standards.

For building owners, managing agents and facilities teams, this case serves as a powerful reminder that fire compartmentation issues are often hidden from view – but the risks they create are very real.