Passive fire protection is the built‑in fabric of a building that slows the spread of fire and smoke. It includes fire resisting walls and floors, fire stopping around service penetrations, cavity barriers, dampers, protective coatings, and certified fire doors. Together these measures maintain compartmentation so people have time to escape and the fire service can intervene. Good passive protection supports your duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and relevant building regulations, and it underpins business continuity.