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Intumescent Passive Fire Protection (PFP) Coatings

Independent Technical Governance. Defensible Compliance. Proven Risk Control.

Intumescent Passive Fire Protection coatings are critical life safety systems – not just protective finishes. Safinah delivers independent coating project management and technical services through specialised intumescent passive fire protection coating expertise across building infrastructure, offshore oil production assets, and high-risk environments.

We ensure your fire protection coating strategy is compliant, performative, and legally defensible – from specification through to long-term asset operation.

 

Don’t leave fire protection to assumption. Talk to us today.

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Fire protection coating failure isn't a technical issue - it's a liability event.

In today’s regulatory and commercial environment, failure of PFP coating systems carries consequences far beyond performance. Poorly specified, misapplied, or undocumented PFP systems expose asset owners, contractors, and insurers to severe consequences:

  • Structural failure under fire conditions
  • Regulatory non-compliance (post-Building Safety Act 2022 environment)
  • Project delays and remediation costs
  • Invalidated warranties and insurance disputes
  • Legal claims and reputational damage

Fire is not the only risk...

Failures stop progress – delaying steel sign-off and disrupting the entire project timeline.

Fixes are complex – often requiring full removal and reapplication, not simple corrections.

Without clear evidence, claims are challenged – and positions quickly become difficult to defend.

Fire protection failures don’t stay internal – they impact credibility and future opportunities

If the system fails in a fire, structural integrity is compromised and lives are at risk.

Safinah ensures your Intumescent PFP coating decisions are not just compliant – but defensible under scrutiny.

Peace of mind for stakeholders.

Multiple stakeholders including asset owners, fire engineers, architects, EPC contractors, steel fabricators, coating suppliers, applicators, insurers, and regulators – often operate with differing priorities and technical understanding. Independent project consultants act as the technical integrator, ensuring alignment between specification, execution, inspection, certification, and long-term maintenance strategy.

Main Contractors | Developers

Deliver complex Intumescent PFP coating projects right first time - without inheriting hidden risk.

  • Reduced risk of late-stage rework, coating remediation, and programme disruption associated with passive fire protection systems
  • Clear definition of intumescent coating scopes, specifications, inspection hold points, and RFQ requirements
  • Early visibility of cost, access, sequencing, and schedule impacts linked to passive fire protection works
  • Independent technical assurance supporting commercial, compliance, and project delivery decisions
  • Improved coordination between structural steel, M&E, fabrication, and coating application activities
  • Reduced risk of non-compliance with fire protection performance and certification requirements
  • Defendable QA/QC documentation supporting Building Safety Act, insurer, client, and asset integrity expectations
  • Fewer disputes arising from unclear fire protection responsibilities, coating interfaces, and lifecycle accountability
  • Greater confidence in long-term asset protection, durability, and maintenance planning for critical infrastructure and offshore assets

Architects | Design Team

Enabling design intent realised without compromise on safety, compliance or constructibility.

  • Confidence that revised layouts and exposed steelwork in buildings remain compliant with passive fire protection requirements
  • Verified intumescent coating assumptions aligned with current fire safety regulations and project standards
  • Support integrating fire performance requirements into the overall design intent
  • Reduced reliance on supplier-led fire protection recommendations
  • Independent technical guidance during refurbishment, modification, and retrofit projects
  • Improved coordination between fire strategy, structural design, and coating application requirements
  • Defensible fire protection documentation supporting Building Safety Act and asset compliance expectations
  • Greater confidence in long-term fire protection performance for critical infrastructure and offshore assets

Fire Engineers | Coating Applicators

Deliver complex intumescent coating projects with confidence, clarity and margin protection.

  • Clear intumescent coating specifications and inspection plans reducing technical uncertainty
  • Guidance on surface preparation, application requirements, and certification expectations
  • Reduced risk of non-compliance, rejected work, or costly rework
  • Independent technical support during intumescent coating application activities
  • Greater confidence applying unfamiliar passive fire protection systems correctly
  • Improved coordination with steelwork, M&E, and project sequencing requirements
  • Clear QA/QC expectations supporting smoother inspections and project handover
  • Reduced risk of delays caused by fire protection defects or documentation gaps
  • Support achieving compliant, durable, and defendable fire protection outcomes

Asset Owners | Operators (Oil & Gas) | Developers (Buildings)

A compliant, auditable and future-proof fire protection coatings strategy.

  • Defensible passive fire protection decisions supported by independent, evidence-based technical assessment
  • Greater budget certainty through accurate intumescent coating scope definition and reduced variation risk
  • Reduced risk of fire protection failures, remediation costs, and project delays
  • Improved compliance with fire safety regulations, insurer expectations, and project standards
  • Long-term asset protection reducing liability, regulatory exposure, and reputational risk
  • Independent oversight supporting quality, durability, and lifecycle performance of fire protection systems
  • Greater confidence in refurbishment, retrofit, and offshore asset integrity strategies
  • Clear QA/QC documentation supporting handover, future maintenance, and compliance requirements

Paint Suppliers

Products correctly applied in the right environment – every time, making it succeed in the real world – not just in the datasheet.

  • Ensures intumescent coating systems are specified against verified project conditions, not assumptions
  • Reduced risk of misapplication, compatibility issues, and fire protection performance failure
  • Strengthens technical credibility through independent assessment and validation
  • Protects against liability linked to legacy coatings, refurbishment risks, or incorrect system use
  • Supports correct environmental classification, specification, and application requirements
  • Improves confidence in coating performance across complex refurbishment and offshore projects
  • Independent documentation supporting compliance, QA/QC, and project certification requirements
  • Enables defensible technical positioning during disputes, warranty discussions, or failure investigations

Cellulosic Intumescent Coating for Buildings and Refurbishment Projects

Compliant, traceable, and defensible fire protection coatings.

In commercial buildings, offices, and stadiums, Intumescent Passive Fire Protection coatings are now a regulated life safety system, not a decorative finish. Post-Building Safety Act 2022, accountability extends across the full lifecycle – with a requirement for a Golden Thread of information.

Key risk areas:

  • Unknown legacy coatings in refurbishment
  • Incorrect DFT vs fire design requirements
  • Environmental misclassification (internal vs semi-exposed)
  • Topcoat incompatibility
  • Damage during mechanical and electrical (M&E) installation

Our Services - Building Refurbishment

Pre-Works

  • Intumescent Passive Fire Protection strategy review
  • Legacy coating identification & verification
  • Specification validation against real exposure conditions

During works

  • DFT verification and compliance tracking
  • Interface control (steel, MEP, contractors)
  • Site audits and technical intervention

Post-Works

  • QA documentation validation
  • Golden Thread alignment
  • Handover certification for future liability protection

Discover more about our coating expertise in various assets and projects across the Building and Infrastructure sector.

Commercial Buildings
Stadium
Car Parks

Hydrocarbon Intumescent Coating for Offshore Oil Production Assets

Reliable fire protection coating performance under extreme offshore conditions.

Offshore oil production platforms, FPSOs, and associated infrastructure operate in extreme environments where fire scenarios are severe and time-critical.

Hydrocarbon fires, including jet fires – require specialised PFP coatings designed to protect structural integrity under extreme thermal loads.

  • Incorrect product selection for hydrocarbon fire scenarios
  • Coating degradation under UV, salt, and thermal cycling
  • Poor adhesion due to surface prep failures
  • Complex geometries and inaccessible areas reducing inspection coverage
  • Inadequate maintenance strategies over asset life

Our Services - Offshore Oil Production Platforms

Design and Specification

  • Fire scenario validation (jet fire vs pool fire)
  • Product selection benchmarking
  • Compatibility with offshore environmental exposure

Execution Phase

  • Inspection of surface preparation and application
  • Verification of system build-up and thickness
  • Contractor performance oversight

In-Service Maintenance

  • Condition surveys and degradation modelling
  • Maintenance planning strategies
  • Failure investigation and root cause analysis

Discover how Safinah delivers beneficial advantage to offshore oil production platform projects.

Find out more

Expert Witness and Support for Legal and Insurance Claims

Clear, technically robust conclusions that stand up in legal and commercial environments.

When PFP systems fail or are challenged, technical uncertainty quickly becomes a legal and financial dispute. Safinah provides independent, evidence-based Intumescent PFP Coatings expertise to support :

  • Insurers and underwriters
  • Law firms and litigators
  • Asset owners and developers
  • Contractors and suppliers

Typical Scenarios

  • Intumescent Fire protection coating failure claims
  • Warranty disputes
  • Contractor liability challenges
  • Insurance coverage disputes

Our Legal and Insurance Support Services

  • Expert witness and litigation support
  • Failure investigation and root cause analysis
  • Specification and compliance review
  • Documentation audit (Golden Thread validation)
  • Dispute resolution between contractors, suppliers, and owners

Discover how Safinah supports our clients in coating-related legal disputes and insurance claims.

Find out more

To discuss your requirements or to find out more about how we can help you, please contact us or email enquiries@safinah.com

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Safinah Webinar Series

Practical Intumescent Coating Strategies for UK Infrastructure

Explore practical, risk-focused strategies for specifying, applying, inspecting, and handing over intumescent coating systems in refurbishment projects. Find out more

Watch the full webinar

The Safinah PFP Coating Project Management

End-to-end Coating Design and Project Management: Bridging the gap between project specification and compliant execution.

Whether you are designing, delivering, or managing a high-risk asset, Passive Fire Protection must be controlled – not assumed. Safinah integrates Intumescent Passive Fire Protection into the full asset lifecycle – providing independent expertise to ensure your coatings perform when it matters most – and stand up to scrutiny when challenged.

Design

Fire protection strategy is defined at this stage – yet this is where the greatest risks are often embedded. Safinah ensures specifications are technically robust, aligned with real fire scenarios, and suitable for the asset’s true operating environment.

Execution

Application is where compliance is either achieved or compromised. Safinah provides independent oversight to verify surface preparation, coating application, and system build-up – ensuring what is installed matches what was designed.

Operation

Over time, environmental exposure, modifications, and wear can degrade fire protection performance. Safinah supports condition monitoring, maintenance planning, and performance reviews to ensure continued compliance throughout the asset lifecycle.

Failure/Claims

When issues arise, technical uncertainty quickly becomes commercial and legal risk. Safinah delivers independent investigation, root cause analysis, and expert support – providing clear, defensible conclusions in high-stakes situations.

  • Early-stage risks are identified and mitigated
  • Application is verified and controlled
  • Performance is maintained throughout service life
  • Documentation supports future liability and compliance

Coating governance beyond inspection.

Safinah brings cross-sector experience from:

  • Building refurbishment and infrastructure projects
  • Offshore oil production platforms and FPSOs
  • Marine and energy asset lifecycle management
  • Complex failure investigations and legal disputes

Our approach is built on:

  • Independent technical authority
  • Evidence-based decision-making
  • Structured data and documentation
  • Global project experience

Explore Safinah Coating Project Management services.

Find out more

Meet the Energy & Infrastructure Team

Dr. Michael Aamodt

Head of E&I 

Offshore Oil Production Platforms | Oil & Gas | FPSO | FSO

Simon Daly

Consultant – E&I 

Buildings | Refurbishment | Bridges | Stadium | Intumescent Passive Fire Protection

Lee Spoor

Consultant – E&I 

Buildings | Refurbishment | Bridges | Stadium | Intumescent Passive Fire Protection

Fergus MacKinnon

Consultant – E&I 

Offshore Wind | Hydroelectric | Solar Energy

Bruno Ravel

Consultant – E&I 

Chemical & Paints | Hydroelectric | Offshore Wind

John Willsher

Business Development Manager 

Business Development | Oil & Gas | Offshore Wind

Book a FREE* Consultation

Safinah’s Energy & Infrastructure Team offers a FREE initial consultation to help clients navigate complex coating, corrosion, and asset protection challenges across some of the world’s most demanding environments.

Our specialist expertise includes intumescent passive fire protection (PFP), offshore oil & gas, FPSO and FSO assets, offshore oil production platforms, building refurbishment projects, and offshore wind infrastructure.

Whether you require support with maintenance strategies, coating failures, refurbishment risks, compliance, or independent project guidance, Safinah provides practical, technically driven advice focused on safety, performance, and asset longevity.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This booking consultation is available for clients who would like to speak with Safinah experts about a particular coating project.

For all other enquiries not related to a project consultation, please email enquiries@safinah.com

At Safinah, we are committed to helping clients make informed decisions from the very beginning of their project.

We offer a no-obligation consultation to discuss your requirements, project objectives, and operational challenges. Our experts provide independent, technically informed guidance on the most suitable options available – enabling you to evaluate the best path forward before deciding whether to engage Safinah’s services.

Our online booking service allows up to 30 minutes consultation.

Our experts will provide you with the information and guidance needed to support your next steps. However, we understand that some projects can be more complex and may require additional consultation time. Where necessary, our team can assist in arranging extended or additional booking sessions, which can be discussed during your initial meeting.

Once your request has been successfully submitted, our team will coordinate the final arrangements with the consultant. You will then receive a meeting confirmation, which must be accepted to secure the booking.

Please note that any meeting confirmation not accepted at least 3 hours prior to the scheduled time may be cancelled.

Yes. You may still cancel your booking after accepting the meeting invitation. We kindly ask that you notify us as early as possible so that our consultants can make the time available to other clients.

It is possible to book our consultants for meetings with multiple attendees. However, to ensure the most focused and productive initial discussion, we recommend limiting the first consultation to a maximum of three participants.

Additional attendees can be requested after you receive the meeting confirmation, or by contacting us at enquiries@safinah.com

Our consultants maintain busy schedules, and in order to provide you with the highest level of support, all bookings are carefully coordinated to ensure availability and avoid conflicts with existing commitments.

 
 

After the FREE 30-minute initial consultation, if you find it worth to use Safinah Consultancy or Technical Services, we would make a written proposal outlining the scope of work, cost, timelines and resources needed to help you with your project.

 
 

Alternatively, please contact us by clicking the button below or email enquiries@safinah.com

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Download the Intumescent Passive Fire Protection (PFP) Brochure

Discover how Safinah can help you protect your assets and operation, assist in resolving legal and claims dispute, and comply with regulatory requirements. Download our Passive Fire Protection Services brochure.

For other enquiries, email us directly at enquiries@safinah.com. 

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Dr Michael Aamodt

Director of Technology | Head of Chemical, Energy & Infrastructure | Consultant

Michael joined the Marine and Protective coatings industry as an R&D paint chemist to develop anti-corrosive coatings. Since then he has gained 35 years of experience in marine, protective and industrial coatings within R&D, global product management, marketing, business development, consultancy and management in three major international coating companies.

He has specialist knowledge of marine epoxy coatings for hull, cargo hold, cargo tanks, surface technology/protection and corrosion. Prior to joining Safinah, Michael was Business Development Manager for a world leading institute doing applied research in corrosion and corrosion protection.

Expertise

Protective Marine Coatings & Corrosion

Languages spoken

Norwegian, English, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Persian (Farsi)

Qualifications

BSc Reservoir Physics, PhD Physical Chemistry
Follow Michael on LinkedIn

Email: michael.aamodt@safinah.com

Simon Daly

Consultant (Energy & Infrastructure)

Simon Daly joined the industry as a graduate engineer working in formulating and supporting heavy duty internal linings. Since then he has extensive experience in the protective coatings industry working in technical, commercial and marketing positions. He has specialist knowledge of internal linings as well as other specialist areas.

Prior to joining Safinah Simon was global oil and gas market manager for a large multinational coating company.

Expertise

Internal linings (tanks and vessels), hydrocarbon fire protection & corrosion under insulation (CUI)

Languages spoken

English

Qualifications

B. Eng (Hons), MICorr, AMPP Senior Corrosion Technologist

Follow Simon on LinkedIn

Lee Spoor

Consultant (Energy & Infrastructure)

Lee Spoor joined the industry as a graduate chemist working in coatings production support and formulation development with a major International coating manufacturer where he has spent his career to date. Subsequently he has devoted much of his time delivering high end project support to the oil and gas and infrastructure markets. His role in project support troubleshooting projects on behalf of major clients has provided him a wealth of varied site experiences which he now brings to Safinah. In addition to his knowledge of coatings Lee has supplemented this with qualifications and specific experience in the various passive fire protection markets.

Expertise

Passive Fire Protection (hydrocarbon and cellulosic), bridges, failure analysis​

Languages spoken

English

Qualifications

BSc. (Hons) Chemistry, AMPP Senior Certified Coatings Inspector (NACE Level 3), ICorr Fire Proofing Inspector (Level 3)

Follow Lee on LinkedIn

Fergus MacKinnon

Consultant (Energy & Infrastructure)

Fergus spent the early part of his career working as an analytical chemist in the pharmaceutical industry prior to moving into the coatings industry where he spent 10 years as an R&D chemist at one of the largest paint companies in the world.

He has broad experience of working with many of the coating technologies typically used in the infrastructure and renewables sectors.  He is also experienced in product formulation, test method development, specifications, approvals and testing plus managing joint industry projects with oil and gas majors.

Fergus has also had a 6-year spell working in technical sales, providing technical and commercial solutions to the UK coating, composites and adhesive industries.

Expertise

  • Industrial protective coatings, maintenance, repair and corrosion
  • Project Management

Languages spoken

English

Qualifications

BSc(Hons) Chemistry – With New Materials Technology

Follow Fergus on LinkedIn

Bruno Ravel

Head of Chemical & Disruptive Technologies | Consultant

Bruno has a background in chemistry and has specialist knowledge of coating formulation and testing in relation to the heavy-duty coating market.

He worked for 10 years as a paint formulator for many paint companies in the marine and protective coating sector including one of the world’s largest heavy-duty paint companies. He has expertise in paint formulation of various chemistries such as anticorrosive coatings, topcoats and intumescent coatings and their corresponding testing requirements. Bruno has successfully developed and launched new intumescent products into the market.

Within Safinah, Bruno heads the coatings technology sector with clients such as raw material providers, paint manufacturers and new technology disruptors, ranging from start-up to multinational. This sector provides market insights such as market analysis, forecasting, assistance with formulation, technology assessment in order to minimize clients’ risks, time and cost to enter the market.

Expertise

Polymer Chemistry, Coating formulation

Languages spoken

French, English

Qualifications

MSc, ENSCMu, NACE CIP Level 2

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John Willsher

Business Development Manager

John graduated from Salford University in 1986 with a first-class honours degree in Chemistry. He joined International Paint in 1986 and worked as a Paint Chemist in the development laboratories, before spending five years working in the Marine Marketing Department. 

Between 1995 and 2006, he worked for companies in the UHP hydroblasting and surface protection contracting industries. His role within these companies covered General Management and ultimately Managing Director positions.

In 2006, John re-joined International Paint as Market Development Manager for Foul Release (Intersleek) products for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). In 2009, he was appointed Worldwide Market Manager for Intersleek foul release products. 

In 2020, he was appointed Global Account Manager responsible for the team supporting the largest shipping groups worldwide – and in 2025, John joined ECOsubsea as Global Business Development Director for ROV underwater cleaning services.

He recently joined Safinah as Business Development Manager and Vessel Efficiency Specialist.

Expertise

Business Development, Management, Marketing, Account Management

Languages spoken

English

Follow John on LinkedIn

Email: john.willsher@safinah.com

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If you have any questions or to discuss your requirements, please speak with our team for a FREE, no obligation discussion.

You can send us an enquiry by filling the form or email us directly at enquiries@safinah.com. 

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