Closing the gaps in passive fire protection with Quelfire
Iain Hoey
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Craig Wells, Sales Director at Quelfire, explains how early engagement supports architects and contractors in delivering compliant, Regulation 38-ready designs
Gaps in passive fire protection still show up across projects, from unclear design responsibility to clashes that trigger costly rework.
Architects and contractors tell Quelfire they are unsure where to start, who should be taking design responsibility and identifying suitably tested solutions for incorporation into the design.
Quelfire’s answer is early engagement: design then build, with suppliers and installers involved while the scheme is still lines on a drawing.
The company supports this with practical tools and training, including CPD sessions, installer guidance and the QuelSelector for tested details.
It also promotes structured information sharing through its Information Collection Schedule and Key Considerations when Designing BWIC’s Guidance and keeps the conversation moving with video content, such as Burning Questions.
At London Build, Quelfire will show examples of systems after exposure to fire and host a panel on Gateway 2 submissions.
IFSJ Editor Iain Hoey sat down with Quelfire’s Sales Director Craig Wells to discuss industry pain points, early engagement in practice and what to expect at the show.
What are the most common gaps or questions you hear from professionals when it comes to passive fire protection?
The big theme is competency, especially among architects and design teams.
We often hear: we don’t get involved with fire, we don’t do detailed designs, we don’t have the insurance, we haven’t done this before.
It’s good when people own what they don’t know, but the industry needs people to embrace the challenge, reach out to reliable sources and get educated so they can design for compliance.
A common question is whether it should even be the architect doing it.
If a main contractor tells an architect to produce the detailed design, the next questions are: where do we start, who do we speak to and how do we know we’re on the right track? Some visit the Quelfire website and feel daunted by the number of options, so the task is to distil that into usable information.
Another gap is resource: having the right people with the right competencies, plus time and funding to do detailed designs.
There’s often so much emphasis on starting construction as quickly as possible that detailed design is sometimes left until the project is well underway on site.
How do these gaps usually appear during projects and are they linked to design, installation or trade coordination?
All of the above.
At early design stage, the questions are: Who is doing the detailed design, and do we have the relevant insurance? On site, the consequences can be severe.
A tier one contractor told me recently 40% of the walls on one project had to be removed and rebuilt after they pushed ahead with a nominal design and later realised it was wrong.
Another contractor building a school installed dampers and walls, then found the dampers weren’t compatible with the wall system and had to rebuild.
You’ve probably seen the Get It Right Initiative’s work on rework.
The Egan report suggested around 30% of construction costs are tied to rework, which aligns with those examples.
Problems can emerge when the fire-stopping contractor arrives and discovers an incompatible wall or service, or at any stage between.
Coordination is a big one.
Getting Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) contractors to understand the significance of their part can be hard.
I was recently with a contractor that has its own in-house M&E division and even they struggle to get detailed information early enough to integrate into design.
Coordination, communication and collaboration are key.
There’s still a gap, though it is getting better.
What does early engagement mean in practice for those working on active projects in the construction sector?
Think “design then build.” Engage suppliers, manufacturers and installers while the building is still lines on a drawing.
Identify available solutions, bring them together into a compliant design and make sure that design can be physically achieved.
Space, access and sequencing matter.
It’s easy to produce a drawing; building it requires the right sequence and collaboration.
Early engagement puts more resource, time and expertise into thinking through practical delivery.
We see strong success stories where that happens.
What tools or training does Quelfire provide to help professionals build confidence and meet compliance requirements?
People need standard detail drawings and detailed designs with clear documentation that’s transparent about the test evidence.
Our QuelSelector is a simple, visual PDF that shows options for specific applications.
You can click through to the relevant standard details and then to the classification reports, so you have full visibility of suitability and evidence.
On training, we offer CPD that gives a high-level look at passive fire protection, why it is required and key considerations.
We also run sessions on early engagement, the technical support available and a suggested design process.
For installers, we provide product installation training.
The heart of what Quelfire provides is knowledge sharing: sitting down to understand what people know, what they need and what the project requires, then sharing best practice and, of course, actual tested solutions.
A key document we released in the past 12 months is our Information Collection Schedule.
It’s a spreadsheet that captures the “what, what, what and how”: what fire rating; what substrates (type and spec for floors and walls); what services (type, spec, diameters); and how the services penetrate the substrates.
It gives all the contractors and design disciplines a single document to work from and supports the golden thread and Regulation 38 handover.
If you specify the requirements and stick to the plan, your as-built should match your design.
We also have our Key Considerations when Designing BWIC’s document, highlighting factors that affect Quelfire requirements and wider requirements: aperture sizes, spacing between apertures, acoustic needs, service supports and so on.
The aim is to encourage collaboration across trades.
Wherever you are on the design-to-build journey, there is something available, from CPD to deeper technical discussions to product training.
How has Quelfire’s ‘Because It’s Your Job to Know’ campaign been received and how are you developing it further?
We’re keeping the message as it is still very much relevant, but we are refreshing the visuals so it stays fresh.
It has been well received by those who want to engage.
When we talk about competency – skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours – right behaviours are crucial to ensure individuals acquire additional knowledge and use it to good effect.
It’s about wanting to take responsibility and change.
The line is deliberately a bit provocative: it makes people ask: What is it my job to know? Why me? We want people to focus on responsibility, reach out early for advice and prioritise education and competency.
The industry is improving, but there’s a long way to go.
We’ll keep banging the drum that fire-stopping is complex, important and best delivered through early engagement.
Your Burning Questions series is returning this October – what is it and what themes will you cover this season?
Burning Questions is a YouTube series for education and knowledge sharing.
Series two starts in October with new guests.
We’re widening the lens because communication, collaboration and coordination are crucial.
Tom Hughes from Safer Sphere will discuss the principal designer role under the Building Safety Regulator’s Gateway 2 requirements.
Joe Hart from Delta Fire Engineering will talk about fire engineering and guidance.
We’ll also have voices from other manufacturers and suppliers.
Chelsea Green from Encon, a long-standing industry professional and distributor of building materials, will speak about competency and training.
Stevan Grkinic from MIDFIX will cover fixings for both fire-stopping installation and the M&E services themselves.
Those are just some of the names we have so far, and there are more guests in the pipeline -t he more e people across the supply chain who champion competency, the better.
What will Quelfire showcase at London Build and why is the event a key industry platform?
London Build is a key event for us because of its location and its broad reach across the construction industry.
At some fire-focused shows, it can feel like we’re preaching to the converted; London Build brings a wider audience – dry liners, plumbers, M&E contractors and designers – which aligns with our campaign.
Our stand will bring the campaign to life with strong visuals.
We’ll display materials, products and systems that have been exposed to fire so people can see, very plainly, what a burnt fire-stop system looks like and what good looks like on the other side of the wall.
It’s a way to show the importance of getting it right through early engagement.
We’re also hosting a panel session on the first day, 20 November, Titled: “Gateway 2: What We Know Now.” The idea is to bring experts together to share experiences of Gateway 2 submissions and, hopefully, successful outcomes.
There’s a lot of interest and concern around Gateway 2 and we want to share best practice and positive experiences.
How do you see education in fire-stopping progressing over the next years and what role will Quelfire take?
Demand for education across the industry is strong and encouraging.
The days of bribing people to attend CPDs with a free lunch feel like they’re fading.
Some architects we work with are booked well into next year, which is great.
People are treating education as an investment, not just a lunchtime tick-box.
Quelfire wants to remain at the forefront as a trusted adviser.
We are passionate about getting it right and sharing best practice.
Of course, we’ll share the solutions Quelfire can offer, but that is almost secondary.
The priority is making sure people are genuinely safe in buildings.
We expect to be a big player in training and knowledge sharing.
