Fire Rating Requirements for Temporary Construction Barriers in Hospitals

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What fire rating do temporary construction barriers need in hospitals?

Cutaway of a fire-rated temporary construction barrier with firestop penetration and rated door
A rated temporary barrier: sealed floor to ceiling, firestopped penetrations, protected openings.

Temporary construction barriers in hospitals must be smoketight and built of noncombustible or limited-combustible materials as the baseline (the ILSM requirement) — and where the project presents a higher hazard than the occupied portion of the building, NFPA 241 requires barriers with a 1-hour fire resistance rating and 45-minute fire protection rating at openings. Separately, any penetration of an existing rated assembly must be firestopped to the assembly’s rating with UL-listed materials.

The three tiers

  1. Baseline (all projects): smoketight, noncombustible or limited-combustible partitions that won’t contribute to fire development or spread. 6-mil fire-retardant poly qualifies for short-duration, low-hazard use.
  2. Higher-hazard projects (NFPA 241): 1-hour fire resistance rating for the barrier, 45-minute protection at doors/openings. This is the hard-barrier tier — stud and drywall, properly constructed.
  3. Penetrations of rated assemblies: sealed with UL-listed firestop systems matching the penetrated assembly’s rating. A 2-hour barrier with an unsealed pipe penetration is a 0-hour barrier.

Where the rating comes from

The rating requirement isn’t arbitrary — it’s driven by the ICRA assessment and the ILSM assessment together. The ICRA side asks about infection risk and duration; the ILSM/fire side asks about the hazard the project introduces relative to the occupied building. A welding-heavy project next to an occupied oncology unit is the textbook case for rated barriers.

Common failures

  • Poly barriers used where the hazard assessment called for rated construction
  • Rated barriers with unsealed penetrations (cables, pipes, ducts punched through with no firestop)
  • Doors in rated barriers without the required 45-minute protection rating
  • Barrier rating documented nowhere — the ICRA/ILSM record doesn’t state what rating was required or provided

Smoketight is the floor. Rated is the call.

See soft vs. hard barriers and ILSM requirements during construction.

FAQ

What is the minimum fire rating for temporary construction barriers?
Baseline: smoketight, noncombustible/limited-combustible. Higher-hazard projects: 1-hour fire resistance with 45-minute opening protection per NFPA 241.

Do penetrations through barriers need firestopping?
Yes — sealed with UL-listed firestop to the penetrated assembly’s rating.

Who determines whether a rated barrier is needed?
The ICRA and ILSM assessments together, based on project hazard relative to the occupied building.

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