Prioritising Passive Fire Protection Before, During, and After the Christmas Holidays

The Christmas period is one of the highest risk times of the year for commercial buildings. Staff availability drops, maintenance slows down, heating demand increases, and sites often operate with skeleton crews or temporary closures. Combined with colder weather, extra electrical loading, and seasonal decorations, the risk of fire increases significantly.

This is why passive fire protection must be prioritised before, during, and after the Christmas break. Unlike active systems, passive measures work automatically and remain in place even when nobody is on site. Ensuring they are intact, compliant, and fully functional helps protect your building throughout the entire holiday period.

Why Passive Fire Protection Is Critical at Christmas

Passive fire protection includes fire doors, fire stopping, fire compartmentation, and structural protections that slow or stop the spread of fire and smoke. These systems:

• Protect escape routes

• Preserve structural stability

• Restrict fire to its origin

• Buy time for the fire service

• Reduce property loss

• Minimise operational disruption

Because many buildings are vacant or sparsely staffed during the holidays, passive systems become the primary barrier between a small incident and a major fire.

Learn more about the principles of PFP in our article on Understanding Passive Fire Protection.

Before Christmas: Essential Preparations

The weeks leading up to Christmas are the most important time to carry out inspections, remedial works, and compliance checks. The goal is to ensure the building is ready for periods of low occupancy or full closure.

1. Inspect All Fire Doors

 Before the holidays, ensure that all fire doors:

• Close fully and securely

• Have compliant gaps

• Contain intact smoke and intumescent seals

• Have working self closers

• Are not propped open

• Display correct certification labels

If any door looks damaged or non compliant, arrange a professional Fire Door Inspection or Fire Door Remedial service immediately.

2. Check for Compartmentation Breaches

With many workplaces running Christmas maintenance, IT upgrades, or refurbishment works, new penetrations may have appeared in fire rated walls or ceilings. Look for:

• Unsealed pipe and cable penetrations

• Missing intumescent collars

• Fire stopping disturbed by contractors

• Damaged riser cupboards

• Holes in plasterboard or ceilings

Once identified, ensure they are addressed by certified professionals. Learn about compliant methods on our Fire Stopping page.

3. Review Fire Strategy Drawings

Confirm that your building’s fire zones, escape routes, and compartment lines are clear, accurate, and accessible. This helps internal teams understand where to look for breaches and what areas require attention.

4. Clear Plant Rooms and Service Risers

Winter often increases heating and electrical demands. This makes plant rooms high risk zones and essential priorities for inspection. Ensure that these areas:

• Are decluttered

• Have no stored items

• Have sealed penetrations

• Have clearly labelled fire stopping

• Contain functioning fire resisting doors

5. Review the Fire Risk Assessment

Seasonal changes should be reflected in your risk management. If your FRA is out of date, arrange a new assessment through our Fire Risk Assessment service.

During the Christmas Holidays

Once the building is partly or fully closed, passive fire protection continues to be your primary line of defence.

1. Keep Fire Doors Closed at All Times

During shutdown, ensure that:

• All fire doors remain closed

• Magnetically held doors revert to normal operation

• Doors in low occupancy areas are not wedged open

This is one of the simplest ways to maintain compartmentation.

2. Monitor Temperature and Humidity

Cold weather can cause:

• Shrinkage in timber fire doors

• Cracking in fire stopping

• Movement in walls and frames

If on site staff notice any changes or gaps widening, they should report them for correction when normal operations resume.

3. Reduce Electrical Loading

Christmas decorations, portable heaters, and temporary wiring all increase electrical load and heat. Lowering unnecessary consumption reduces the risk of ignition sources, which in turn minimises strain on passive systems.

To support this, arrange testing such as Fixed Wire Testing and Thermal Imaging in advance of the holiday period.

After Christmas: Returning to a Safe Building

When staff return in the New Year, the building may have shifted, expanded, contracted, or experienced unnoticed damage. Winter conditions can expose weaknesses in passive systems and highlight areas needing remedial attention.

1. Conduct Post Holiday Inspections

Begin with a walkthrough of critical areas:

• Escape routes and corridors

• Plant rooms

• Kitchens

• Risers

• Roof voids

• Electrical cupboards

Look for:

• Door misalignment

• Damaged seals

• Missing fire stopping

• New penetrations

• Cracked walls

• Excessive gaps around doors

Any concerns should trigger a professional review.

2. Assess Fire Doors Again

Temperature changes over Christmas closures may affect doors. Test all fire doors for compliance and functionality. Our team can assist with Fire Door Installation and certified maintenance.

3. Prioritise Remedial Work

After the holidays is the ideal time to schedule:

• Fire stopping reinstatement

• Fire door repair

• Compartmentation upgrades

• Intumescent product replacement

• Riser sealing

Book these early to avoid peak season delays and ensure compliance throughout the year.

4. Update Compliance Records

Capture inspection notes, remedial work, photographs, and drawings in your digital compliance system. This makes audits easier and proves due diligence.

Why Work with Protest ES Ltd During Winter

Protest ES Ltd provides fully certified fire stopping, fire door inspection, fire door maintenance, and compartmentation services. We work under third party accreditation schemes such as BM TRADA Q Mark to ensure all work is compliant, traceable, and photographed for the client audit trail.

We also understand the seasonal challenges that buildings face and can support your team with:

• Pre Christmas inspections

• Holiday shutdown preparation

• Emergency remedials

• Post holiday surveys

• Year round maintenance planning

Conclusion

Passive fire protection is your strongest defence during the Christmas holidays when buildings are quieter and risks increase. By preparing before the break, monitoring during closure, and inspecting when staff return, you safeguard your building, maintain compliance, and reduce the risk of major incidents.

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