Behind the Survey: What Happens During a Compartmentation Inspection?

Fire compartmentation is the unsung backbone of a building’s fire safety strategy. It’s what keeps fire from spreading unchecked through voids, risers, and walls. Yet many building owners and managers are unclear on what a compartmentation survey involves, or why it’s so crucial. In this blog, we lift the lid on the process, risks, and remedial planning that go into every PyroActive compartmentation inspection.

What Is Compartmentation?

Compartmentation is the division of a building into fire-resisting sections. These compartments are designed to contain fire and smoke within one area, giving occupants more time to escape and emergency services more time to respond. But in many buildings, these lines of defence are silently breached, through years of modifications, unsealed service penetrations, or undocumented works.

What Do We Look For?

A PyroActive compartmentation survey inspects all fire-resisting elements that form part of a building’s structural safety. This includes:

• Walls and floors designed to resist fire

• Cavity barriers and smoke curtains

• Fire-stopped service penetrations (pipes, cables, ductwork)

• Roof and ceiling voids

• Hidden routes of fire spread such as risers, shafts and flues

  
  

Common Failures We Identify

It’s surprisingly common to find passive protection compromised by day-to-day works:

• Unsealed cable trays

• Missing fire collars around pipes

• Gaps around ductwork

• Decorative works masking damage to fire barriers

In residential conversions, schools, and healthcare premises, these issues can be extensive, often undocumented and unknown to the Responsible Person.

Why a Survey Isn’t Just a ‘Check’

A compartmentation survey is more than just an inspection. It’s an essential step in maintaining or restoring the integrity of your fire strategy. Our surveys include detailed visual evidence, mapping of breaches by location, and prioritised recommendations for remedial action.

Our team uses industry-approved methods and reporting structures to ensure our clients receive clear, actionable information. We help you understand the compliance implications and support you in coordinating repairs, whether through your own contractors or trusted partners.

Think your building is secure? Let’s find out. Book a compartmentation survey with PyroActive and make sure your passive fire barriers are doing the job they were built for. Contact us at enquiries@pyroactive.co.uk