Firestop in healthcare

Importance of passive fire protection

With dynamic and complex requirements for building services, the number of penetrations passing through fire rated walls and ceilings is typically high. Gaps in fire-rated walls and ceilings may represent a risk for patients, staff and equipment, as fire – and more importantly smoke – can spread rapidly.

Active fire protection alone, including detection (e.g. alarms) and suppression (e.g. sprinklers), may not be enough.

Containment of fire and smoke is also key: effective compartmentation can be achieved with passive fire protection.

Fire safety after a seismic event

Fire can be a common post-earthquake risk, as mechanical pipes and electrical cables can be damaged, releasing flammable contents or sparks. Hospitals are also critical in helping communities recover from earthquakes, so it’s important that they don’t experience significant damage or associated downtime.

Therefore, firestop products used for pipes, cables and joints, should be tested under seismic conditions and designed to withstand movement.

Keeping operating costs low

Healthcare is a sector under severe cost pressure with a duty to keep building life-cycle costs low. Hospitals are dynamic environments with constantly changing patient requirements and technological advancements. As new equipment is purchased and existing equipment is maintained or reconfigured, firestopping after every maintenance activity can be an uncalculated hidden cost.

On top of that, in critical rooms like Intensive Care Units the air pressure should remain stable. Therefore, the prevention of air leakage and every marginal efficiency gain can positively contribute to the reduction of the life-cycle cost of the building.

Firestop solutions that contribute to easier maintenance and airflow control can have a direct impact on your bottom line. 

Infection control

Penetrations for services between patient rooms can represent a source of airborne bacteria transmission.

Therefore, airflow control must be carefully managed to help keep the air where it is intended to be and therefore reduce the spread of infection.

Virtually fiber-free

Commonly used traditional firestopping methods, like coated boards, are often composed of fibers of metallic ore and igneous rock. Whilst they can effectively prevent smoke and fire spreading, repenetrating these systems with pipes or cables may release fibers into the air, which could pose a risk to patients, particularly those in critical environments like operating theatres or intensive care units.

Noise reduction

Patient privacy, comfort and recuperation may be compromised when noise from adjacent spaces travels uninhibited. A main cause of these problems is the inadequate acoustic insulation between rooms.

Firestop products with superior acoustic insulation properties help contribute to the overall noise reduction.

Mechanical applications

Solutions for wastewater, fresh water, heating and gas pipes:

Electrical applications

Solutions for electrical cables, cable bundles and conduits:

Large openings

Solutions for mixed penetrations:

Firestop sleeve

Preformed, ready-to-use solution with no need for drilling or sealants. Industry-leading airflow control and easy cable changes thanks to its advanced twist mechanism. This helps to improve infection and dust control as well as energy efficiency.

Plus, you don’t need a firestop professional each time you move a cable, saving you time and money!

Top track seal

For interior gypsum-board walls using metal frame construction, this firestop solution fills the gap between the metal and concrete surfaces. This means CFS-TTS has a high air-tightness performance, contributing to the airflow control thanks to its innovative composition that prevents cracks and other imperfections.

The all‐in‐one design helps to improve jobsite productivity.

Cast-in device

Firestop cast-in devices make life easier compared to traditional methods of shuttering or breaking/coring after the concrete is poured. A one-step solution that maintains the opening and firestops the pipes at the same time.

Once installed, the device has an integrated water and smoke seal which impedes infections through standing water, as well as meeting high acoustic requirements.