Let’s talk about early engagement in firestopping again!

Following the success of its virtual roundtable discussion last November at London Build Online, Quelfire will be sponsoring another event this November again – this time in person – at the London Build Expo.

While the first discussion looked at the importance of early engagement in firestopping mostly from a design point of view, the forthcoming discussion will be built around the coordination and management of installation.

During the previous discussion, the following points have been established:

1. Ideally, the specialist firestopping contractors, as well as the manufacturers should be engaged during Stage 1 of RIBA plan of work. Even if the full extent of the details of the M&E services are not known at this stage, it is good practice to start engaging with the contractors and system manufacturers about what might be required and achievable.

2. The firestopping of service penetrations is not just about the actual firestop products, it is about the services themselves and the substrate construction. This makes it important to engage with all the trades and other manufacturers of systems at an early stage of the project, to avoid any miscommunication later.

3. The most important roles of firestopping system manufacturers in improving the process are: educating anybody involved about compliance, requirements and solutions available, making relevant information and documentation readily available for those that need it, as well as keeping an open mind for feedback on how they can contribute to moving the industry forward.

4. Choosing a competent firestopping contractor is key. Things to look for in a firestopping installer are third-party certification, as well as trade-body memberships, these show commitment to the industry and having their work audited by a third party. Other signs of commitment for compliant and quality installations are ongoing training on site as well as no compromise on costs.

5.Educational information is available for those devoted to quality firestopping, such as the Best Practice Guide for Firestopping Service Penetrations, otherwise known as ‘the purple book’ issued by a number of highly recognised industry organisations. The document includes 34 questions to go through to design a penetration seal, and promotes collaboration between all parties involved.

Titled ‘Firestopping – the importance of early engagement and sticking to the plan’, and joined by highly regarded speakers representing the viewpoint of various stakeholders involved in firestopping, the discussion aims to talk through the following points:

• The benefits of early engagement and making all the decisions about firestopping at the design stage
• The importance of sticking to the plan – the design – at the installation stage
• The importance of using a competent firestopping contractor
• The difference between the responsibilities of a fire engineer and a firestopping installer
• The unique position of Firestopping Contractors and the importance of communication and coordination with all trades
• The importance of educating everyone on why it is important to install services a certain way
• Practical methods that can be used on site to ensure compliant and as-per-design installations
• Where can additional information be found about the topic

The discussion will take place at 3pm on 17 November, on the Fire Safety Stage of London Build Expo, Olympia London.

For more information, go to www.quelfire.co.uk