27/01/2026
Compartmentation in residential blocks is critical, yet it’s often poorly understood or inadequately assessed.
Effective compartmentation is the backbone of a stay put strategy. When fire and smoke are properly contained, residents remain protected and unnecessary evacuations are avoided.
Too many fire risk assessments rely on broad caveats such as “further intrusive surveys recommended” or “limited access prevented full assessment”. In many cases, this isn’t because meaningful inspection was impossible, but because sufficient effort wasn’t made on site or the assessor lacked the competence to properly understand the building’s construction and design.
The result?
Unclear reports, avoidable costs, and responsibility pushed further down the line.
At Infinitas Safety, we take a different approach.
We gather as much evidence and detail on site as reasonably practicable inspecting risers, cupboards, loft spaces, service penetrations and construction interfaces to ensure our conclusions and recommendations are proportionate, justified, and defensible.
A robust fire risk assessment should:
✔ provide clarity, not uncertainty
✔ reduce risk, not simply transfer it
✔ support a stay put policy where appropriate, based on evidence
If a fire risk assessment defaults to recommending further surveys without clear justification, it’s worth asking:
Was your fire risk assessment thorough enough?