Passive Fire Protection Systems: Critical Fire Safety in Commercial Buildings

27 January 2025 in Fire Protection

Passive Fire Protection Systems: Critical Fire Safety in Commercial Buildings

Passive fire protection systems may not be flashy, yet they serve a vital function in ensuring comprehensive fire safety. Think of fire doors, dampers, and fire-resistant building materials as silent guardians that stand sentinel, ready to protect lives and assets. Learn more about
how these systems assist active fire protection like sprinklers and extinguishers.

What are Passive Fire Protection Systems?

Passive fire protection systems are built-in fire safety elements that help to contain fires.
They help reduce spread and help to keep evacuation routes safe and accessible.
Active systems, such as fire sprinklers, are activated in times of emergency. Passive systems, by contrast, are always ready to impede fires’ growth and spread. They thus provide vital, complementary fire safety and suppression measures.

Key Types of Fire Suppression Systems That Give Passive Protection

Fire suppression systems that passively protect your premises and personnel include:

Fire Doors

Fire doors are specially designed to impede fires’ progress. Certified doors are graded according to how long they can hold up before they are likely to experience structural damage.
These differ from ordinary doors in several ways:

  • Signage. Correct fire safety signage should be displayed that says “Fire door keep shut”.
  • Closing mechanisms. Fire doors are fitted with closing mechanisms to ensure that they close firmly from a halfway position.
  • Heat-sensitive seals. Fire doors should have heat-sensitive seals that expand to protect the door in the event of fire and help to slow fire’s progress through a building.

These doors are not designed to be completely fireproof. Instead, they are designed to hold back fire for a specific duration, depending on their construction and materials (the highest ratings are only possible for steel doors). SABS-approved doors are best for maximum safety.

Fire-Resistant Walls

Fire-resistant walls are structural barriers. They contain and compartmentalise flames and smoke, helping to prevent the spread of fire and smoke (which holds inhalation as well as ignition risks).
Environs where fire-resistant walls are crucial include:

  • Storage rooms containing flammable goods.
  • Server rooms storing expensive equipment that is an electrical fire hazard
  • Environs where flammable gases or other flammable materials pose elevated fire risk

ERF Group is highly experienced in retrofitting industrial and commercial spaces with fire- resistant walls. This expertise makes it possible to integrate passive fire protection systems without significant disruption to ongoing operations.

Fire Dampers

Fire dampers are another essential component in passive fire suppression systems.
Dampers are critical components in HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) systems.
Dampers seal off ducts to prevent fire spread and thus should be checked on a regular schedule to ensure that they are functioning properly.
For inspection and testing, it is wise to use fire safety experts, such as the accredited professionals at the ERF Group, whose services comply with South African fire safety standards and regulations.

How Passive and Active Fire Protection Work Together

The best protection is when active and passive fire suppression come together, containing and extinguishing fires faster through their combined strengths.
For example, say you have fire-resistant walls around a space that contains a roof sprinkler system. The fire-resistant walls serve to contain and isolate the fire in the event of an accident or electrical fault. Meanwhile, the sprinkler system kicks in to put out the flames fast.
Holistic fire safety planning is your best defence against runaway fires that could otherwise cause critical losses to goods, equipment, and could even endanger lives.
Ensuring the right mix of passive and active systems is, therefore, wise. It creates comprehensive protection that leaves the least possible vulnerability.

Why Passive Fire Suppression Systems Are Critical in South Africa

South Africa is a unique place for considering fire safety.

Before you even get to the active and passive fire protection measures in place, you’re dealing with aging infrastructure and complex regulatory requirements. This is why disasters such as the fire at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in 2021 may quickly spin out of control.
ERF Group’s expertise will help to ensure your business complies not just with local standards and minimums, but global standards of fire safety excellence. We bring over 50 years’ experience to our on-site consultations, risk assessments, and tailored fire suppression solutions.
If you need SABS-approved fire safety products guaranteed for reliability and compliance, ongoing maintenance and support, or solutions customised to your facilities, contact ERF today.




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