Checkmate fire
Why passive fire protection is a
sensible investment
Effective and well-maintained passive
fire protection should be a key feature
of the fabric of every building - and
not only because it helps to keep the
occupants safe in the event of a fire.
The fires, whether accidental or arson,
also result in financial loss running to
tens of millions of pounds, pose a great
risk to businesses and ultimately jobs
and inevitably means higher insurance
premiums.
However, insurers do react positively to
the implementation of safety measures
and having third-party certified passive
fire protection measures in place can
help to reduce premiums.
What is third-party certified
installation?
Specifying a third-party certified
passive fire protection product in line
with the guidelines for its use, means
you can be certain it will perform well in
the event of a fire, as long as it has been
installed correctly. This is where third-
party passive fire certification come
in. It of course crucial to ensure those
products are firstly chosen correctly for
the job and fitted correctly to maintain
compartmentation, which is why
installer certification schemes were also
developed.
For these schemes, the accreditation
bodies evaluate the competency of
installers through regular audits of the
contractor’s procedures and processes
and site inspections to confirm tasks
are being completed to a standard that
provides the maximum level of fire
integrity.
Checkmate Fire are proud to have
both been founding members of the
BRE / LPCB passive fire protection
certification scheme and to have
maintained our accreditation ever since
not to mention they also employ their
own inhouse auditing team to inspect
every single job.
Maintaining passive fire protection
Passive fire protection measures need to
be properly maintained to be effective.
Fire doors are susceptible to damage
from being wedged open or vandalised,
electrical and IT repairs can result in
fire barriers being drilled through to run
cabling.
A regular inspection regime is a sensible
idea, as this will allow problems to be
spotted and fixed at an early stage -
rather than finding out about them in
the worst circumstances.
A third-party certified contractor will
not only implement a maintenance plan
and carry out any required remedial
work, they will also be able to recertify
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the system once the job is complete,
helping to ensure your premises
comply with regulations and insurance
requirements.
As with choosing a third-party certified
passive fire protection contractor for
installation and refurbishment projects,
using one for maintenance work is
an investment that could help you
to save money in the long-term with
lower insurance premiums and reduced
disruption in the event of a fire.
Checkmate Fire are one of the most
established, experienced and accredit
passive fire protection companies in
the UK market with a real passion for
providing clients with the best possible
standards in order to protect people,
property and business.
www.checkmatefire.com