FAQs
Frequently asked questions
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General Passive Fire Protection
Passive fire protection is the part of a building’s fire safety system that is built into the structure. It helps contain fire, smoke, and hot gases by maintaining fire-rated walls, floors, ceilings, shafts, doors, service penetrations, and structural elements.
Unlike active fire systems such as sprinklers or alarms, passive fire protection does not need to “turn on”. It is designed to perform during a fire by maintaining compartmentation and structural fire resistance.
Passive fire protection helps slow the spread of fire and smoke, protects escape paths, supports firefighter access, and helps prevent localised fire damage from becoming a whole-building event.
A small defect, such as an unsealed pipe penetration or damaged fire-rated wall, can compromise the fire resistance of an entire building element.
Active fire protection includes systems that detect, suppress, or respond to fire, such as sprinklers, hydrants, fire detection, alarms, extinguishers, and smoke control systems.
Passive fire protection includes the built-in systems that contain fire and smoke, such as fire-rated walls, floors, doors, access panels, fire stopping, fire collars, fire-rated boards, vermiculite spray, intumescent coatings, and structural fire protection.
Both systems are important and usually work together.
Fire Ratings, FRLs and Compliance
FRL stands for Fire Resistance Level. It is usually expressed as three numbers, such as -/120/120 or 120/120/120.
The three numbers relate to:
- Structural adequacy — whether the element can continue to carry load during fire exposure.
- Integrity — whether flames and hot gases can pass through.
- Insulation — whether heat transfer through the element stays within the required limits.
AS 1530.4:2014 is the Australian Standard used for fire-resistance testing of building elements.
The dash means structural adequacy is not applicable. This is common for non-loadbearing elements such as many service penetration seals, wall systems, ceiling systems, bulkheads, or linear joint seals.
The second and third numbers mean the system is designed to maintain integrity and insulation for 120 minutes, assuming it is installed exactly in accordance with the tested or assessed system.
Fire-rated building elements require an FRL where nominated by the NCC, fire engineering report, fire safety schedule, architectural drawings, structural fire design, or project specification.
The required FRL depends on the building classification, type of construction, location in the building, fire compartment, and specific project requirements.
Any service penetration through a fire-rated wall, floor, shaft, riser, or ceiling can compromise the fire rating unless it is protected by a tested fire stopping system.
Examples include pipes, cables, cable trays, ducts, conduits, insulated pipes, mixed services, and construction joints. The penetration must be sealed using a system suitable for the service type, size, substrate, opening size, annular gap, orientation, and required FRL.
No. Passive fire products are not universal. A fire collar, sealant, board, wrap, mortar, mastic, or pillow system must be suitable for the exact application.
The correct system depends on factors such as:
- Wall or floor type
- Service type and size
- Opening size
- FRL requirement
- Service orientation
- Annular gap
- Insulation type
- Manufacturer test evidence
- Installation requirements
Using the wrong product can result in a non-compliant installation even if the product itself is fire-rated.
Fire Stopping and Service Penetrations
Fire stopping is the process of sealing openings and penetrations in fire-rated building elements so that the required FRL is maintained.
This may include sealing around pipes, cables, cable trays, conduits, ducts, control joints, wall junctions, slab edges, and other openings.
Common passive fire stopping products include:
- Fire-rated sealants and mastics
- Fire collars
- Fire wraps and pipe wraps
- Fire pillows
- Fire-rated boards
- Fire mortar
- Fire-rated compounds
- Intumescent sealants
- Ablative-coated batts
- Fire-rated access panels
- Fire-rated movement joint systems
Each product must be selected based on tested system evidence, not just product name or brand.
An intumescent product expands when exposed to heat. In passive fire protection, intumescent materials are often used to close gaps, crush melting plastic pipes, or protect steel from heat exposure.
Common examples include intumescent fire collars, pipe wraps, sealants, strips, and coatings.
A fire collar is a device installed around combustible pipework, usually PVC, HDPE, or other plastic pipes. In a fire, the intumescent material inside the collar expands and crushes the pipe as it softens, helping to close the opening and maintain the fire rating.
Fire collars must be installed to suit the pipe type, pipe size, substrate, wall or floor orientation, and required FRL.
A fire wrap is commonly used around combustible or insulated services to help maintain fire resistance where services pass through fire-rated elements. Some wraps are installed inside the penetration, around the service, or externally, depending on the tested system.
Yes, but only where there is a tested or assessed system that allows that arrangement. Mixed-service penetrations are often more complex than single-service penetrations because the interaction between cables, pipes, insulation, trays, and seal materials affects performance.
Only approved fire-rated foam systems may be used, and only where the specific tested application allows it. General expanding foam is not suitable for fire stopping and should not be used to seal fire-rated penetrations.
Only fire-rated sealants tested for the specific application should be used. Standard silicone is not a compliant substitute for a tested fire-rated sealant or mastic system.
Structural Steel Fire Protection
Structural steel can lose strength when exposed to high temperatures. Fire protection systems are used to delay heat transfer into the steel so that the structure maintains its required fire resistance during a fire.
Common systems include:
- Vermiculite fire spray
- Intumescent paint
- Fire-rated board encasement
- Cementitious fire spray
- Other tested proprietary systems
The correct system depends on the FRL, steel section size, exposure condition, project specification, finish requirement, environment, and durability requirements.
Vermiculite fire spray is a sprayed fire-resistive material applied to structural steel or concrete surfaces to provide fire resistance. It is commonly used in car parks, plant rooms, basements, warehouses, industrial buildings, and back-of-house areas.
Intumescent paint is a coating system that expands when exposed to heat, forming an insulating char layer around structural steel. It is often used where a more architectural finish is required compared with vermiculite spray or board encasement.
No. Intumescent paint is a specialist fire protection coating system. It usually requires surface preparation, primer compatibility, dry film thickness checks, environmental controls, and topcoat compatibility.
The final dry film thickness depends on the steel member, required FRL, section factor, exposure condition, and manufacturer assessment.
DFT stands for dry film thickness. For intumescent coatings, DFT is measured after the coating has dried to confirm that the required thickness has been achieved.
Incorrect DFT can result in under-protection or non-compliance.
Fire-Rated Walls, Slabs, Bulkheads and Ceilings
A fire-rated bulkhead is a fire-resisting enclosure or barrier, often constructed from fire-rated board systems, to protect services, maintain compartmentation, or continue a fire-rated wall or ceiling line.
Bulkheads must be built in accordance with tested or assessed systems, including framing, board type, fixing centres, joint treatment, sealants, penetrations, and support details.
Slab and wall FRL upgrades are used where an existing wall, floor, or concrete slab does not achieve the required fire resistance level. This may occur in older buildings, refurbishments, change-of-use projects, or where the fire strategy changes.
Upgrade systems may include fire-rated boards, coatings, sprays, or other tested systems.
Yes. Many existing buildings can be upgraded using lightweight fire-rated systems, fire-rated boards, fire sprays, penetration rectification, joint sealing, or other tested solutions.
The correct approach depends on the existing construction, required FRL, fire safety schedule, building use, project constraints, and available test evidence.
Inspection, Testing and Maintenance
Yes. Passive fire systems should be inspected to confirm they remain intact, correctly installed, documented, and suitable for the required FRL.
In NSW, AS 1851-2012 became mandatory under the Environmental Planning and Assessment framework from 13 February 2026 for routine servicing of fire protection systems and equipment.
AS 1851 sets out routine service requirements for fire protection systems and equipment. For passive fire, this commonly involves inspection of items such as fire seals, access panels, fire-resisting construction, doors, hoppers, and other listed measures where applicable.
The inspection should identify defects, damage, missing labels, unprotected penetrations, non-compliant alterations, and incomplete records.
Inspection frequency depends on the building, fire safety schedule, applicable standard, state requirements, and the type of essential fire safety measure.
For many buildings, passive fire items are reviewed as part of annual fire safety statement preparation, routine maintenance, defect inspections, refurbishments, or tenancy works.
Common defects include:
- Unsealed service penetrations
- Incorrect fire collars or missing collars
- Damaged fire-rated walls or ceilings
- Gaps around pipes, cables, or trays
- Unprotected new services installed after construction
- Missing penetration labels
- Incorrect or incomplete fire stopping products
- Damaged access panels or fire doors
- Non-compliant mixed-service penetrations
- Poor documentation or missing test evidence
The defect should be recorded, assessed, and rectified using a compliant tested or assessed system. Once rectified, the installation should be documented with photos, product details, system references, location information, and certification where required.
Many passive fire defects occur because services are added, removed, or changed after the original fire stopping was completed. This is common during fit-outs, refurbishments, maintenance works, tenancy changes, data upgrades, plumbing alterations, and mechanical modifications.
Any new service through a fire-rated element should be fire stopped and documented.
Certification and Documentation
Good passive fire documentation should include:
- Location of each installation
- Photos before and after works
- Product details
- Tested system or assessment reference
- FRL achieved
- Substrate and service details
- Installer details
- Date of installation
- Compliance certificate or installation statement
- Defect and rectification records where applicable
Labels help identify the installed fire stopping system, installer, date, FRL, and reference information. They also help future inspectors, certifiers, builders, and maintenance contractors avoid damaging or altering systems without proper review.
A passive fire register is a record of installed passive fire systems throughout a building. It may include penetration seals, fire collars, access panels, walls, floors, bulkheads, joint seals, and structural fire protection.
A good register helps with future maintenance, inspections, AFSS preparation, defect management, and building audits.
Yes. Ceasefire can provide documentation and certification for passive fire protection works it installs or inspects, subject to the scope of work, available evidence, and compliance requirements.
For existing installations by others, certification may require inspection, verification, opening up works, product identification, test evidence review, or rectification.
Annual Fire Safety Statements and NSW Compliance
An Annual Fire Safety Statement, or AFSS, is a document required for many NSW buildings. It confirms that the essential fire safety measures listed on the building’s fire safety schedule have been assessed and are capable of performing to the required standard.
NSW Planning states that annual fire safety statements must be issued each year and include the essential fire safety measures that apply to the building.
Yes, passive fire measures may appear on a building’s fire safety schedule. These can include fire seals protecting openings, access panels, fire doors, lightweight construction, fire-rated shafts, fire-resisting construction, and other passive fire measures.
In NSW, certain fire safety measures must be assessed by an accredited practitioner where required. NSW Government guidance sets out requirements for fire safety practitioners and accreditation under the current framework.
Yes. Ceasefire can inspect passive fire measures, identify defects, provide rectification works, compile documentation, and assist with passive fire compliance for AFSS purposes.
The exact scope depends on the building’s fire safety schedule, existing documentation, condition of installed systems, and whether rectification is required.
Builders, Fit-Outs and Construction Projects
Passive fire should be planned early, ideally during design coordination and before services are installed. Early planning helps avoid non-compliant penetrations, incorrect product selection, access issues, rework, delays, and certification problems.
Early involvement helps identify:
- Fire-rated walls and floors
- Service penetration requirements
- Shaft and riser details
- Bulkhead requirements
- Structural steel fire protection
- Tested system limitations
- Access and sequencing issues
- Documentation requirements
- Potential design conflicts
This can reduce rework and improve certification outcomes.
Yes. Ceasefire can review drawings, fire-rated layouts, service penetrations, schedules, and specifications to help develop a practical passive fire scope.
Yes, but value engineering must not compromise compliance. Passive fire value engineering may involve selecting alternative tested systems, improving sequencing, reducing unnecessary labour, simplifying details, rationalising products, or resolving design conflicts before installation.
Any alternative system still needs suitable evidence for the required FRL and application.
Common causes include:
- Missing fire-rated drawings
- Unclear FRL requirements
- Services installed too close together
- Oversized or irregular penetrations
- No tested system for the installed arrangement
- Late design changes
- Poor access
- Wet trades or finishes completed too early
- Missing documentation
- Uncoordinated subcontractor penetrations
Building Owners, Strata and Facility Managers
Passive fire protection is often hidden behind walls, ceilings, risers, plant rooms, cupboards, and service shafts. Because it is not always visible, defects can go unnoticed for years.
Building owners and managers should care because passive fire defects can affect occupant safety, insurance, compliance, AFSS sign-off, asset value, and future refurbishment works.
A passive fire audit is useful when:
- Preparing for an AFSS
- Buying or selling a building
- Taking over a new facility
- Planning refurbishment works
- There are repeated fire safety defects
- Documentation is missing
- Services have been altered
- A council order or fire safety notice has been issued
- There are concerns about previous workmanship
Yes. Ceasefire can inspect existing buildings to identify passive fire defects, assess fire stopping condition, review available records, and provide rectification recommendations.
Yes. Ceasefire can rectify passive fire defects identified by builders, certifiers, fire safety assessors, consultants, strata managers, facility managers, or other contractors.
Product Selection and Tested Systems
Test evidence confirms that a system has been tested or assessed for a particular fire-resistant application. Passive fire protection relies on complete systems, not isolated products.
A product may be fire-rated in one application but unsuitable in another.
AS 1530.4:2014 is the Australian Standard for fire-resistance testing of building materials, components, and structures. It is commonly used to determine the FRL performance of fire-rated systems.
A tested system is a complete arrangement that has been fire tested or formally assessed. It usually includes the substrate, service type, opening size, product, installation method, support requirements, and FRL achieved.
Yes, but products must be used in accordance with suitable tested or assessed systems. Mixing products from different manufacturers without supporting evidence can create compliance issues.
Not usually. A product data sheet may describe the product, but passive fire compliance usually requires system-specific test evidence, assessment reports, installation details, and project documentation.
Our Services
Ceasefire provides passive fire protection services including:
- Fire stopping to service penetrations
- Fire collars, wraps, sealants, batts, boards, and pillows
- Linear joint and construction joint sealing
- Fire-rated bulkheads and enclosures
- Fire-rated access panels
- Vermiculite fire spray
- Intumescent paint
- Structural steel fire protection
- Slab and wall FRL upgrades
- Passive fire inspections and defect reports
- Rectification works
- Certification and documentation
- AFSS support for passive fire measures
Yes. Ceasefire can work in occupied buildings, commercial properties, strata buildings, hospitals, schools, infrastructure facilities, industrial sites, and active construction sites.
Work in occupied buildings may require staging, access coordination, after-hours work, dust control, noise management, and careful communication with building management.
Yes. Ceasefire provides passive fire protection services across NSW and the ACT.
Yes. Ceasefire can assist with urgent passive fire defects, especially where defects are affecting handover, occupation, AFSS preparation, certification, or compliance close-out.
The best starting point is to provide Ceasefire with any available drawings, fire safety schedule, defect report, photos, consultant report, fire engineering report, or builder scope.
Ceasefire can then help determine whether you need inspection, rectification, installation, documentation, or a full passive fire audit.
