Approved Document B Updates Driving Increased Demand for Passive Fire Surveys Across London and the Midlands

Recent updates to Approved Document B and ongoing regulatory reform under the Building Safety Act are continuing to drive significant demand for passive fire protection surveys across residential, healthcare, and commercial buildings throughout London and the Midlands.

The transition away from legacy BS 476 fire testing standards towards BS EN 13501 classifications represents a fundamental shift in how fire resistance performance is assessed and verified. This change is placing increased responsibility on building owners and duty holders to ensure compartmentation systems, fire stopping, and fire doors are correctly specified, installed, and maintained in accordance with current standards.

For many existing buildings, particularly those constructed prior to 2018, fire stopping installations were not always installed in accordance with tested systems or have been compromised over time by subsequent service penetrations. This has resulted in widespread compartmentation failures being identified during intrusive surveys.