Fire safety in high-rise and high-risk buildings

High-rise and high-risk¹ buildings have one thing in common when fire strikes: it takes time to evacuate occupants to safety. When every second counts, we believe it matters whether your building is wrapped in insulation and cladding materials that burn, or ones that don’t.

For example, at greater heights involving burning facades, external firefighting possibilities become increasingly limited. Simply reaching the fire can be difficult or impossible. Adequate water pumping pressure can be a factor. Toxic smoke and gases from burning materials can be life-threatening². Unpredictable wind conditions can complicate firefighting efforts, putting the building and its occupants at further risk.

Indeed, with limited firefighting possibilities, high-rise safety might depend on how fast building occupants can evacuate.

Evacuation speed also plays a critical fire safety role in high-risk buildings with vulnerable occupants regardless of height – buildings such as hospitals, care facilities, schools, or entertainment venues.

In a hospital or care facility, not all patients will be ambulatory or capable of following evacuation instructions unassisted. In schools, children, especially those with special needs, may require more time to evacuate. In a densely packed entertainment venue where guests may not be familiar with evacuation routes, additional time can help save lives.

MahaNakhon,, City, Skyline, Sunset, Reference Project

Taken together, that’s why ROCKWOOL encourages governments to ban combustible façade insulation and cladding on all high-rise and high-risk buildings. Why take the risk to do otherwise?

Some things don’t have to be complicated. We believe that people would naturally prefer to live, learn, work, play, and recover in buildings wrapped in insulation or cladding that doesn’t burn or emit significant amounts of toxic gases when exposed to fire over ones wrapped in materials that do. ROCKWOOL’s non-combustible stone wool insulation and cladding meet that need.

It’s called resilience by design. If it’s worth building, it’s worth protecting.

^{[1] ROCKWOOL is defining high-rise as buildings taller than 11m or comprising more than three storeys. High-risk buildings include those with vulnerable occupants, regardless of building height, including hospitals, schools, care homes and entertainment venues.}

^{[2] Grenfell Tower in London was wrapped in combustible plastic foam insulation and plastic-filled cladding panels when fire engulfed the building in 2018. According to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, all 72 people who died in the fire were overcome by toxic gases. The same toxic smoke and gases are responsible for many of the firefighters who attended at Grenfell developing serious long-term health disorders. Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2 Report Overview, September 2024, paragraphs 2.103 and 113.66. Available via the UK Government Web Archive at The National Archives: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20240904102059/https:/www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/phase-2-report.}