Short answer: Do not wait until handover to check fire-stopped penetrations. Check each one straight after sealing and before a ceiling or riser is closed. For every penetration, confirm the opening is fully sealed, the product suits the required fire resistance, and the location, photo, installer and date are recorded in the logbook.
Why should you check penetrations before handover?
At handover a penetration is often no longer visible, because a suspended ceiling, riser wall or boxing now covers it. If you only check at the end, you have to open up finished work or trust what others tell you. That is why the check belongs at the moment the seal is still visible and within reach.
You know the situation: 2 weeks before handover the client asks for an overview of all fire-stopped penetrations. The fire-stopping contractor has a list, the M&E installer remembers a few extra openings and nobody has photos of the riser by the lift core. The ceiling comes down again, the programme slips and the argument about who pays begins.
The law adds a deadline. In England, regulation 38 of the Building Regulations 2010 requires the person carrying out the work to give fire safety information to the Responsible Person no later than completion, or at first occupation if that comes earlier, for buildings covered by the Fire Safety Order. For higher-risk buildings, the completion certificate application to the Building Safety Regulator (gateway 3) must include a fire and emergency file, and the building must pass the regulator's checks before it can be occupied, so missing penetration records can hold up occupation.
What do you check for each fire-stopped penetration?
A good check of a fire-stopped penetration assesses both the installation itself and how it is recorded. A seal that is technically correct but recorded nowhere cannot be demonstrated later. These 7 points cover both, so every penetration is not only sealed against fire but can also be shown to be sealed.
- Fully sealed. No gaps or open joints around cables, pipes or cable trays.
- Suitable system. The sealing product is suitable for this type of penetration, such as a cable tray, plastic pipe or metal pipe.
- Correct fire resistance. The system's classification, for example EI 60, matches the requirement for this compartment wall or floor.
- Installed as tested. Depth, thickness and fixing match the manufacturer's installation instructions.
- Identification in place. A label with a unique code sits next to the penetration.
- Photos recorded. At least 1 photo after sealing, ideally 1 before as well.
- Details complete. Location on the drawing, product, installer and date are in the logbook.
If there is doubt about points 2 to 4, the manufacturer's tested details or the judgement of a fire engineer decides, not the checklist.
When should you check: during construction or at handover?
The best approach combines a check of each penetration during construction with a final check per fire compartment shortly before handover. That way you catch mistakes while they are still within reach, and at the end you have a complete overview that matches what is actually built.
| Moment | What you check | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Straight after sealing | Installation, product and photo per penetration | The seal is still visible and accessible |
| Before closing a ceiling or riser | Whether all penetrations in that area are Completed | Repairs afterwards are costly and disruptive |
| Final check per fire compartment | Whether the logbook matches the penetrations on site | Finding forgotten openings |
| At handover | Whether the logbook is complete and handed over | The Responsible Person needs it once the building is in use |
How do you record the check so it counts as evidence?
A check counts as evidence when each penetration shows what was checked, by whom, when and with what result. A tick on a list without a photo or location is worth little when the fire risk assessor, building control or the fire and rescue service asks questions later about a specific compartment wall.
| Check on paper | Check in Ed Controls | |
|---|---|---|
| What was checked | List of ticks | Audit per penetration or per fire compartment |
| Evidence | Loose photos | Photo linked to the penetration on the drawing |
| Defect | Note on paper | A ticket for the responsible party straight away |
| Repair | Phoning round | Status moves from Started to Completed |
| Handover | Collecting files | Export as a report |
How does an inspection with audit templates work in Ed Controls?
Ed Controls, project management and quality control software for construction, uses audit templates: fixed checklists you fill in on site for each penetration or fire compartment. If a question reveals a defect, you create a ticket straight from the audit for the party that has to put it right, so nothing gets lost between inspection and repair.
- Create an audit template with 7 checkpoints: seal, system, fire resistance, installation, label, photos and details.
- Carry out the audit on site, with photos for each checkpoint, also offline.
- For a defect, create a ticket on the drawing and assign it to the fire-stopping contractor.
- Check the repair and set the ticket to Completed.
- Export the audits and tickets as a report for the handover file.
Dutch fire safety firm BrandZorg works this way during fire safety inspections. Rens Verbakel, fire safety specialist: "We literally walk through the building with the floor plans in Ed Controls." And: "Users such as contractors and fire-stopping installers can get straight to work on the defects I have identified." (Both quotes translated from Dutch.) Read the full story in Ed Controls at BrandZorg (in Dutch).
Who is this checklist for?
This checklist is for the people who prepare handover and need to prove that every penetration in a compartment wall or floor is sealed and recorded. It does not replace fire engineering design, because deciding where compartments go and which fire resistance they need is work for a fire engineer.
Suitable for:
- Site managers and project managers at principal contractors preparing for handover
- Fire-stopping contractors and passive fire protection specialists who want to demonstrate their work
- Fire risk assessors, clerks of works and inspectors who assess penetrations
Less suitable for:
- Designing fire compartments or calculating fire resistance; for that you need a fire engineer
Frequently asked questions
Who checks fire-stopping penetrations before handover?
Usually the principal contractor or an appointed fire-stopping specialist checks the penetrations, sometimes together with the client or a clerk of works. Building control, or the Building Safety Regulator for higher-risk buildings in England, separately checks whether the work complies with the Building Regulations, including requirement B3 on internal fire spread.
Should you check every penetration or a sample?
To show the building is safe, you want a record for every penetration that it has been sealed, with a photo and details. A sample can be a useful final check per fire compartment, but it does not replace recording each penetration, because the forgotten penetration is exactly the biggest risk on most projects.
What do you do if a penetration is hidden behind a ceiling?
If a photo and details were recorded when it was sealed, you can use those as evidence. If they are missing, the ceiling has to come down so the penetration can be assessed. That is the main reason to check before ceilings and risers are closed, because opening them later costs time and money.
Which photos should you take of a fire-stopped penetration?
Take at least 1 photo straight on after sealing, with the identification label in the frame. A photo of the opening before sealing also shows which cables and pipes pass through and how large the opening was. Together those 2 photos give the strongest evidence of how the work was carried out.
How long before handover should the logbook be ready?
In England, regulation 38 requires fire safety information to reach the Responsible Person no later than completion, or first occupation if that is earlier. For higher-risk buildings, the completion certificate application goes to the Building Safety Regulator before occupation. Make sure penetration records are complete well before either moment, so gaps cannot delay the building.
Read more
- Fire-stopping logbook: what should it record and who keeps it?
- Digital documentation and handover in construction
- Fire safety software from Ed Controls
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk, Building Regulations 2010, regulation 38 (fire safety information)
- legislation.gov.uk, Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures (England) Regulations 2023, regulation 40 (completion certificate applications)
- Building Safety Regulator, building control FAQ (gateway 3)
- Ed Controls, Ed Controls bij BrandZorg (in Dutch)
Last updated: 12 October 2026
