The fire curtain might be unseen and unspoken by many, but it plays a pivotal role in any building’s fire safety regime. When the moment comes to deploy, these lifesaving barriers prevent the blowtorch effect and allow firefighters to advance on a fire floor with less risk. This in turn reduces structural damage and speeds up extinguishment, helping to save lives.

Like any other product, fire curtains have to comply with certain standards in order for them to be approved for use. These industry-created standards set performance, quality and safety requirements that manufacturers must meet in order to be recognised as compliant.

Enhancing Safety with Fire Curtains: A Comprehensive Guide

Designed to restrict the passage of smoke and fire from one part of a building to another, a fire curtain is hidden above the ceiling and automatically deploys upon receiving a signal from a fire detection system. The fire curtain consists of a flexible, fire-resistant fabric mounted into a headbox which can be concealed above the ceiling.

As well as a fire curtain, the headbox also houses a control panel that interfaces with the fire alarm system. The standard BS 8524 outlines the specifications and tests to be carried out in order for a fire curtain to be fully compliant. This includes a comprehensive inspection checklist as well as a number of annexes that must be satisfied in order for the curtain to be awarded full compliance against the standard.