Niall Rowan: Passive Fire Protection for Fire Risk Assessors
10 November 2025
In 2012, ASFP published their Guide to Passive Fire Protection for Fire Risk Assessors. The guide was produced at the request of a certification body interviewing fire risk assessors applying for certification under their scheme. They found that while many had a good knowledge of the risk assessment process including a wide range of fire related knowledge, many were quite weak on Passive Fire Protection. Would ASFP consider drafting some simple guidance on PFP for those assessors undertaking Type 1 fire risk assessments? The Guide was written and went on to become one of the Association’s largest publication downloads. Fast forward 5 years to 14th July 2017 and the Grenfell Tower Fire would claim the lives of 72 people. In the ensuing years this has ushered in the largest set of changes ever seen to legislation in the design and construction of all buildings but especially Higher Risk Buildings. Clearly, it was time to revisit the ASFP guide and bring it up to date. But first let’s consider how the guide works because while the latest revisions is a significant update, the fundamental structure has not changed. How does the guide work? The ASFP guide comprises three main sections: 1. A general and regulatory section including the principles used to evaluate PFP. This covers all the legislation pertinent to undertaking fire risk assessments in the UK including devolved nations and the philosophy of assessment i.e. that the evaluation is for means of escape only and not a full check for compliance with building regulations. It also includes advice on how to check escape routes in the absence of detailed plans e.g. for older buildings. 2. The procedure for undertaking assessment of PFP for each type of fire protection. This includes what and how to check for e.g. fire doors as opposed to say structural steel or fire resisting dampers. 3. Annexes on further information for each type of PFP including reference to ASFP publications but also links to other third-party guidance from other trade associations where there is established expertise. It also contains an example checklist for fire risk assessors to use or modify as appropriate. Who is it aimed at? The guide is aimed at fire risk assessors undertaking a Type 1 Fire risk assessment (see box) as this is by far the most common type of assessment. If assessors find significant shortfalls in PFP then they are recommended to seek further inspection by specialists which are likely to be invasive, or the assessor can recommend a full invasive (destructive) fire risk assessment such as a type 2 or 4 assessment. Despite being a type 1 (non-invasive) risk assessment, assessors are expected to look for example, look above ceiling tiles on escape routes and above fire doors at corridor ended where they can. What has changed in the new version? As stated earlier, the fundamental three-part structure of the guide has not changed; it still comprises an introductory and legislation section, followed by the methodology to be used for each type of PFP, followed by Annexes for each type of PFP with reference to further information and reading. Outcomes from the Grenfell Tower fire The main changes to the guide arise from the Grenfell Tower Fire on 14th July 2017. This was a landmark fire, not only because of the sheer scale of loss of life, but in the magnifying glass that was taken to the construction industry and the fire risk assessor ‘profession’ that followed. Some of the issues that were raised predated Grenfell e.g. the culture and practices used in the construction industry and the competency of Fire Risk Assessors, but these were brought into focus by Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of the Building Regulatory Process and the associated activities by the construction industry. She also highlighted the lack of professionalism and competency throughout the construction industry. New legislation The Fire Safety Act 2021 (England & Wales) brought flat front doors into the scope of a fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the legislation that mandates fire risk assessment of buildings) and also clarified that where a building contains two or more sets of domestic premises the fire risk assessment should include an assessment of that building’s external wall system. Recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry resulted in the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 which mandated quarterly checks on fire doors in common parts of buildings and annual checks on flat front doors (where possible) and premises information boxes in blocks of flats containing plans of the building, amongst other measures. The Building Safety Act 2022 brought in a whole new regulatory regime for what it termed ‘higher risk buildings’ (currently those over 6 storeys and 18m high plus some other categories). This, and the associated changes in building regulations with regards to combustible materials on the external walls of Higher Risk Buildings would mean changes would be needed to the guide. The changes in legislation mean revised guide contains enhanced checks on fire doors, procedures for evaluating external walls and a new annex on external wall construction as well as reference to the relevant new legislation itself. Competency of Fire Risk Assessors Long before the Grenfell Tower Fire questions had been raised over the competency of Fire Risk Assessors. The legislation requiring fire risk only requires that a fire risk assessment is ‘suitable and sufficient’. It does not require that a fire risk assessor is competent or has any qualifications, experience or knowledge. This has always been a bugbear of the profession because it allowed any person who wanted to set up a fire risk assessments consultancy to do so, even if they were manifestly unqualified for the job. Fortunately, much work to improve the competence of fire risk assessors had been started, mainly under the auspices of the Fire Sector Federation (now Confederation). An explanation of the activities to improve the competency of fire risk assessors and the procedures used in undertaking assessment of external walls, from the Fire Sector Confederation is included in the revised guide. The new ASFP guide to Passive Fire Protection for Fire Risk Assessors is an invaluable tool for fire risk assessors undertaking type 1 fire risk assessments in buildings. It brings and condenses ASFP’s vast passive fire protection knowledge into a relatively short document that can be easily used by fire risk assessors who may not have extensive passive fire protection knowledge. This article will be included in our November edition of Ignite Magazine.
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