Modular pods, portable cabins, and temporary buildings are used across construction, education, and healthcare. Fire safety often receives inadequate attention.. Temporary Building Fire Risks Modular pods, portable cabins, and temporary structures are ubiquitous on construction sites, school grounds, and healthcare campuses. Their temporary nature often leads to fire safety being overlooked. Types and Uses Site cabins — offices, welfare facilities, drying rooms on construction sites Modular classrooms — temporary teaching spaces for schools Healthcare pods — consulting rooms, testing facilities, vaccination centres Event structures — hospitality units, VIP areas, media centres Emergency accommodation — disaster relief, asylum seeker housing Fire Safety Challenges 1. Construction — typically lightweight steel frame with combustible insulation and linings 2. Stacking — two storey configurations with limited structural fire resistance 3. Proximity — units often placed close together, facilitating fire spread 4. Services — temporary electrical connections, bottled gas heating, portable heaters 5. Duration — 'temporary' installations remaining in place for years 6. Maintenance — fire safety systems rarely maintained to same standard as permanent buildings 7. Regulation — unclear which regulations apply to temporary structures Fire Safety Requirements Building Regulations: Portable buildings intended for use 28 days generally require Building Regulations compliance Fire resistance, means of escape, and detection requirements apply LPC Design Guide for Temporary Buildings provides guidance RRO 2005: Applies to all non domestic premises, including temporary buildings Fire risk assessment required Responsible Person duties apply BS 9999: Can be applied to temporary buildings Travel distance, exit widths, and detection requirements May need pragmatic interpretation for non standard buildings Best Practice Minimum 6m separation between portable buildings Smoke detection in every unit Emergency lighting on escape routes Fire extinguisher in each unit No combustible storage beneath raised units Regular fire risk assessment review Electrical inspection before occupation and annually thereafter For temporary building fire safety, contact Magnus Opifex. Magnus Opifex SEVEN LTD — UK's Leading Fire Safety & Fire Engineering Consultancy 🌐 magnus opifex.co.uk 📞 +44 7486 691724 ✉️ office@magnus opifex.co.uk Founders: Nicoleta Vasile, Baroness of Brattleby — CEO, Lawyer and Barrister, Legal & Administrative Director Alina — Technical Director & Expert Fire Engineer (BEng) Head Office: Ealing Cross, 85 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5BW Magnus Opifex SEVEN LTD delivers engineering led fire engineering, fire risk assessments, CFD modelling, and building safety consultancy across the United Kingdom and internationally. With over 20 years of combined experience and a UK portfolio spanning healthcare, residential and infrastructure, we bring truly engineered solutions with a personal touch. © 2026 Magnus Opifex SEVEN LTD. All rights reserved.