How we’re blazing the trail in fire safety

3 min read | Marc Johnson | September 2024

With new fire safety regulations coming into effect in January 2025, our head of technical, Marc Johnson discusses how Thurston is putting in the groundwork to ensure our products are, not only, exceeding fire regulations but providing clear evidence of performance.

At Thurston Group, we place safety and sustainability at the forefront of our operations. As market leaders, we understand how to stay ahead when it comes to complying with new regulations.

That’s why we’re proud to be setting the industry standard for fire safety and sustainability certifications. Thurston has made a £250,000 investment to achieve early compliance with upcoming changes to construction site legislation in January 2025 and also become the first manufacturer to achieve EPC A rating, while maintaining the highest fire safety standards.

What are the new regulations?

Tough new requirements are being rolled out in January 2025 by the Fire Protection Association’s Joint Code of Practice (JCoP) to reduce the risk of fire on construction sites, specifically regarding the provision of temporary buildings, hired or purchased.

The JCoP is written by the Fire Protection Association and is considered the benchmark for fire safety guidance on construction projects and best practice guide for fire prevention on construction sites.

The legislation changes in the JCoP 10th edition outline the requirements for any new site setup. These include:

  • A minimum 6m (but preferably 10m) firebreak between temporary buildings and other buildings
  • A limit on temporary building height (of 18m)
  • Locating units in areas which are easily accessible to the emergency service
  • Construction site fire safety plans to include all temporary buildings
  • Design improvements for temporary buildings’ fire performance
  • Improvements in materials’ fire performance including non-combustible or very low combustible insulation, materials producing minimal smoke, and those that don’t create flaming droplets.
  • Enhanced roof safety: replacing currently compliant roofing with a more rigorous standard.
  • How has Thurston Group ensured fire safety compliance?

    We have invested significantly in product development and testing to ensure our units comply with the guidance and requirements, which come into effect on 1st January next year.

    Our testing process is intensive; we test each element of our units both separately and as a complied final piece (unlike the wider industry, which only tests individual elements). This ensures we can provide customers with clear evidence of the testing results and our units as a whole being fireproof, providing peace of mind.

    Our Temporary Accommodation Units have all been tested and have surpassed JCoP requirements. This achievement in not only surpassing JCoP requirements but also attaining an EPC A rating highlights our dedication to providing the safest and most energy-efficient temporary accommodation solutions for the construction industry.

    Our managing director, Matt Goff, emphasised Thurston’s commitment to safety, saying: “As the largest UK supplier of temporary accommodation and modular buildings used extensively by the construction industry, Thurston Group has been leading proactively on fire safety and prevention for many years. Our proactive fire testing programme has found that our temporary accommodation units not only meet but surpass, the requirements of the new fire safety regulations almost a year ahead of schedule.”

    “We are proud to see the modular industry once again lead in redefining safety standards. Thurston Group is delighted to be at the forefront of this critical area.”

    Our commitment to fire safety

    Our commitment extends beyond current regulations, with our in-house design teams actively developing new products with even greater fire performance capabilities. We’re proud of our ability to provide customers with clear evidence of rigorous testing and believe other suppliers should be following suit.

    To find out more about our dedication to fire safety, speak to us today.

    Off-site manufactured modular and relocatable cabins offer companies a flexible, efficient solution for boosting eco-credentials, as they can be readily adapted with sustainable features that enhance energy efficiency.


    Thurston Group continues to prioritise sustainability, working towards our goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Our 2023 Carbon Footprint Report, developed in partnership with Carbon.Climate.Certified, provides a detailed analysis of our environmental impact across three facilities in Wakefield, Catfoss, and Hull.