In the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, the landscape of building safety has fundamentally changed. Building owners, managers, and responsible persons must now ensure that passive fire protection systems (such as fire doors, firestopping, and compartmentation) are correctly installed, maintained, and documented.

Passive fire protection refers to a range of built-in fire safety measures designed to contain or slow the spread of fire and smoke within a building. Unlike Active Fire Protection (AFP), which includes systems like sprinklers and alarms that respond to a fire, PFP measures are integrated into the construction itself to provide structural fire resistance and safeguard escape routes.

The essential elements of PFP include fire-resistant doors, walls, ceilings and floors, cavity barriers, intumescent coatings and firestopping materials such as sealants and wraps around service penetrations. However, these systems are only effective if they are compliant, functional, and up to date – which is where the legal requirements for building owners come in.

• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) applies to all non-domestic buildings and common areas of residential blocks. It requires a building owner or responsible person to carry out fire risk assessments and ensure that measures like fire doors and compartmentation are maintained.
• The Building Safety Act 2022, introduced in direct response to Grenfell, places additional obligations on owners of high-rise residential buildings (those over 18 metres or 7 storeys). It introduces the role of the Accountable Person, who must ensure compliance and maintain a Golden Thread of safety information, this being a digital record of all fire safety measures, inspections, and actions taken.
• The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that the Fire Safety Order applies to building structures, external walls (including cladding), and entrance doors in multi-occupancy buildings.
• There are also national standards, such as BS 9999, a code of practice for fire safety design and management, and BS 8539, which sets out how firestopping should be installed, inspected, and maintained – ensuring the systems are not only effective on paper but in practice.

Across the UK, Group Metropolitan has seen a surge in demand for firestopping services. In 2023 alone, we delivered over £2.5 million worth of firestopping, helping building owners stay compliant and safe.

Delivering fully compliant passive fire protection services and solutions tailored to the unique needs of clients, Group Metropolitan installs anything from fire door installation to advanced firestopping systems. Our accredited professionals ensure that every project is executed with precision, whether in office environments or critical infrastructure settings. Our solutions adhere strictly to BS 8214:2016, BS 476, BS EN 1366, and the Building Safety Act 2022, ensuring that your fire protection measures remain robust and legally compliant at all times

Key services Group Metroplitan include:

• Fire door installation and inspection designed to maintain compartmentation and resist fire spread.
• Firestopping systems used to seal gaps around pipes, cables, and ducts, firestopping includes intumescent sealants, fire-rated boards, cavity barriers, and pipe wraps. from cavity barriers to pipe wraps.
• Digital documentation using the Bolster platform, logging every installation, inspection, and material used. This creates an auditable, real-time digital record that satisfies the Golden Thread requirement under the Building Safety Act.
• With over 30 operatives working nationwide, our teams are ready to assess and support the long-term integrity of your fire safety strategy through ongoing maintenance and surveys.

Group Metropolitan is proud to be a trusted partner for businesses across the UK, clients including landlords, housing associations, local authorises and major commercial property managers. When it comes to passive fire protection, our experience, digital compliance tools, and uncompromising safety standards provide that added peace of mind for solutions that stand the test of time.

The cost of prevention is far lower than the price of neglect. Group Metropolitan helps ensure that your fire protection solutions aren’t just compliant...they’re complete.