Minimum
England
Fire stopping at a service penetration
Reinstate the full fire resistance of the element
Sealed with a system tested for that substrate, aperture size and service type
Every figure for this topic is on one page: Cavity barriers and fire stopping around openings and services
Read the full answerA penetration must be sealed back to the fire resistance of the element it passes through — the seal is only as good as the tested system it belongs to.
Basis in regulation
How to check it on site
Record the product, batch and installer for each penetration; unlabelled foam is not evidence.
Common failure
Gap-filling foam used as a fire stop, which has no fire rating on its own.
Effective from 22 August 2026. Last updated 23 August 2026. This is our editorial summary of publicly available regulation, not building control approval or a warranty determination.