The following best practice can help you reduce risks associated with insulated products;

• Do not install heating appliances, such as ovens, against the panels.
• Operate a clear distance policy for cooking systems.
• Control ignition sources that are adjacent to, or penetrating the panels.
• Control hot working
• Check for damage to heater tapes used to prevent ice build-up at doors.
• Do not store highly combustible materials against panels or allow rubbish to collect against panels.
• Have damaged panels or sealed joints repaired immediately and make sure that jointing compounds or gaskets used around the edges of the panels are in good order.
• Check where openings have been made for doors, windows, cables and ducts to ensure that these have been effectively sealed and the inner core has not been exposed.
• Check that there has been no mechanical damage and repair any that has occurred, e.g. caused by mobile equipment such as fork lift trucks.
• Ensure that any loads, such as storage and equipment, are only supported by panels which have been designed and installed to perform this function.
• Check that the inner and outer skins are adhering tightly to the core.
• Ensure that the panels are correctly secured to the structure or are designed to be independently structurally secure. One solution is to ensure the retaining brackets bolt to the panel to a support frame through the outer and inner skins.
• Ensure large roof cavities are appropriately protected, e.g. escape routes are clear, signed and have limited travel distance, and fire warning systems are audible.

The use of combustible panels in areas of buildings with high life risk, e.g. where large numbers of people are present, should be carefully considered. Your fire risk assessment may need to be revised to ensure that any increased risk resulting from this type of construction is considered.

The potential for fire development involving mineral fibre core is less than that for panels containing polymeric cores. Therefore, in areas where there is considerable life risk, it may be appropriate to consider replacing combustible panels, providing a fire suppression system or installing non-combustible fire breaks within or between the panels at suitable intervals.