Fire stopping
Evidenced before it is covered up
Once the ceiling is in, a seal you did not photograph might as well not exist. One record per penetration, with the evidence attached to it, and a register that tells you which ones are still short.
FS-018 — Riser penetration
Evidence packWhat a record holds
Everything you would be asked for
The barrier
What it is, where it is, and the rating it has to hold — EI 30 through to EI 120 — pinned on the drawing.
The services
What passes through it: cables, trays, pipework, ducts, and the combination that decides which system is valid.
The system
The certified system used, its reference, the installer and the date.
The label
The label fixed to the seal, photographed where it is readable.
Before and after
The opening before the seal and the finished seal after it.
The verdict
Verified, rejected or short of evidence — and the register counts each.
The point
A register that knows what is missing
One record per penetration
Photographed before the seal and after it, with the certified system, its reference, the installer and the label. The register scores each one against what a complete record needs and shows you the gap while the seal is still reachable.
FS-018 — Riser penetration
Evidence packPinned in the riser it is actually in
Not “second floor, somewhere”. The penetration sits on the drawing with its own reference, so the pack you hand over can be walked back to the wall.
Level 02 — General arrangement
SnagInspectionNCRWhat the register holds
Why it matters
Once the ceiling is in, it is too late
- Evidence gaps flagged per penetration, not discovered at the end
- Rejected seals stay on the register until they are put right and re-verified
- Each penetration pinned on the drawing with its own reference
- The whole register out as one evidence pack PDF, or as Excel
- Ready to hand to the Accountable Person as part of the golden thread
FAQ
Straight answers
Why does fire stopping need its own register?
Because the evidence has to exist before the seal is covered up, and once a ceiling is in you cannot go back and prove it. A penetration record has to say what passes through the barrier, what rating the barrier holds, which certified system was used, what the label says, and show the seal before and after. That is not a snag — it is a record you may be asked for years later.
What counts as evidence?
A photograph before the seal, a photograph after it, the certified system and its reference, the installer, the date, and the label fixed to the seal. The register scores each penetration against that list and flags the ones that are short.
Does it produce a pack for the client?
Yes — every penetration with its photographs and details, as one PDF, plus the register as Excel.
Does this apply to a higher-risk building?
If the building is in scope of the Building Safety Act, fire stopping evidence is part of the golden thread you must hand to the Accountable Person at Gateway 3. The register is built to be handed over as it stands.
Read next
The golden thread
What the Building Safety Act expects you to keep, and in what condition.
Read the guide →Inspections & ITPs
Two libraries, every acceptance criterion written out, results recorded on site.
See inspections →Handover
Fire stopping verified is one of the four gates a unit has to pass.
See handover →Twelve penetrations are already in the example
Some verified, some rejected, some short of evidence — so you can see what the register does with each.