Is Your Building “Golden Thread” Ready?
Under the latest Building Safety regulations, the responsibility for fire integrity rests squarely with the building owner or FM. Use this checklist to identify potential “red flags” in your current commercial or residential property.
Service Penetrations (The Most Common Failure)
The "Light Test" If you look into a riser or above a suspended ceiling, can you see light passing through gaps where pipes or cables breach the wall?
The "Pink Foam" Trap Are gaps filled with generic expanding foam? Note: Most pink foams are NOT fire-rated for service penetrations and must be replaced with certified fire-stopping.
New Tech Installs Have IT or MEP contractors recently added new cabling? If so, has the fire-stopping been breached and resealed?
Fire Doors & Hardware
The Gap Test Is the gap between the door and the frame consistently between 2mm and 4mm?
Closure Integrity Does the door close and latch fully from any angle without being forced?
Intumescent Strips Are the smoke seals and intumescent strips present, undamaged, and free from paint?
Structural Protection
Steel Exposure If you have exposed structural steel, is the intumescent paint flaking or damaged?
Board Integrity Are fire-rated boards around columns or in stairwells cracked or breached by new signage or fittings?
Void Management (Hidden Risks)
Cavity Barriers Do your raised access floors (common in Offices/Data Centres) have fire barriers installed at the required intervals to stop fire spreading under the floor?
Ceiling Voids Are fire curtains in place in large open-plan ceiling voids?
Documentation & The "Golden Thread"
Fire Stop Register Do you have a digital or physical map showing the location, material used, and date of installation for every fire-stop in the building?
Regulation 38 Information Was a full package of fire safety information handed over at the completion of your last fit-out?
Spot a Red Flag?
If you checked “No” to any of the above, your building may not be compliant with current life-safety standards.
Bell Build’s Remedial Team can help
- Survey:
We perform a non-invasive visual audit of your fire compartmentation. - Report:
We provide a RAG-rated (Red, Amber, Green) report on your building’s health. - Remediate:
Our third-party accredited team installs certified solutions and provides full digital documentation for your “Golden Thread” records.
