--- title: "Clearing the Air: Effective Strategies for Cold Smoke Extraction in the NHS" description: Explore effective strategies for cold smoke extraction in hospitals, ensuring patient safety and operational continuity post-fire with advanced HVAC solutions and compartmentation techniques. image: https://blog.swegon.com/hubfs/LinkedIn%20Article%20Template%20(1).jpg --- [![](https://www.swegon.com/Static/img/logo.svg?v=3)](https://www.swegon.com/uk/) Menu - [Solutions & services](https://www.swegon.com/uk/solutions-and-services/) - [Products>](https://www.swegon.com/uk/products/) - [References & Insights](https://www.swegon.com/uk/references-and-insights/) - [Support & Software](https://www.swegon.com/uk/support/) - [Sustainability](https://www.swegon.com/uk/sustainability/) - [Why Swegon?](https://www.swegon.com/uk/why-swegon/) - [Product Search](https://www.swegon.com/uk/product-search-result/) - [Document Search](https://www.swegon.com/uk/support/find-documents/) - [Careers](https://www.swegon.com/uk/careers/) - United Kingdom - [Contact](https://www.swegon.com/uk/contact/) ## Choose a market [Or visit our global site](https://www.swegon.com) - [Belgium - French](https://www.swegon.com/fr-be/) - [Belgium - Dutch](https://www.swegon.com/nl-be/) - [Denmark](https://www.swegon.com/da/) - [Finland](https://www.swegon.com/fi/) - [France](https://www.swegon.com/fr/) - [Italy](https://www.swegon.com/it/) - [Germany](https://www.swegon.com/de/) - [Norway](https://www.swegon.com/no/) - [Poland](https://www.swegon.com/pl/) - [Spain](https://www.swegon.com/es/) - [Sweden](https://www.swegon.com/sv/) - [Switzerland - German](https://www.swegon.com/de-ch/) - [Switzerland - French](https://www.swegon.com/fr-ch/) - [Switzerland - Italian](https://www.swegon.com/it-ch/) - [United Kingdom](https://www.swegon.com/uk/) - [United States](https://www.swegonnorthamerica.com) - [Canada](http://swegonnorthamerica.com/) Explore ## Filter articles ### By topics - [Cooling & Heating (40)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/cooling-heating) - [Indoor Climate Knowledge (22)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/indoor-climate-knowledge) - [Air Handling Units (20)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/air-handling-units) - [Smoke and Fire Dampers (19)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/smoke-and-fire-dampers) - [Room Units (18)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/room-units) - [Indoor Climate Knowledge (15)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/indoor-climate-knowledge) - [Energy Efficiency (13)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/energy-efficiency) - [News (13)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/news) - [Tips and Advice (13)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/tips-and-advice) - [sustainability (13)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/sustainability) - [Knowledge (11)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/knowledge) - [Ventilation (10)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/ventilation) - [Energy Efficiency (8)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/energy-efficiency) - [Service (7)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/service) - [Guide (5)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/guide) - [Humidity (5)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/humidity) - [Heat pumps (3)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/heat-pumps) - [BIM (2)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/bim) - [Diffusion (2)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/diffusion) - [Services & Connectivity (2)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/services-connectivity) - [acoustics (2)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/acoustics) > Fler ### By authors - [![Ajeeb Mohammed](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_20230113_160922.jpg?width=75&name=IMG_20230113_160922.jpg) Ajeeb Mohammed 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/ajeeb-mohammed) - [![Alberto Ferrandi](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ferrandi.png?width=75&name=ferrandi.png) Alberto Ferrandi 5](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/alberto-ferrandi) - [![Alberto Frison](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/alberto.jpg?width=75&name=alberto.jpg) Alberto Frison 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/alberto-frison) - [![Alessandro Lora](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/lora.webp?width=75&name=lora.webp) Alessandro Lora 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/alessandro-lora) - [![Alessandro Lora](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/lora.webp?width=75&name=lora.webp) Alessandro Lora 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/alessandro-lora) - [![Alessandro Pinato](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/alessandro.png?width=75&name=alessandro.png) Alessandro Pinato 7](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/alessandro-pinato) - [![Anders de Maré](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/anders%20de%20mare_1-1.jpg?width=75&name=anders%20de%20mare_1-1.jpg) Anders de Maré 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/anders-de-maré) - [![Andreas Örje Wellstam](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Finland%20News/Kampanjat,%20uutiskirjeet/Andreas%20%C3%96rje%20Wellstam_S.jpg?width=75&name=Andreas%20%C3%96rje%20Wellstam_S.jpg) Andreas Örje Wellstam 5](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/andreas-örje-wellstam) - [![Andrew Collard](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Andrew%20Collard_edited.jpg?width=75&name=Andrew%20Collard_edited.jpg) Andrew Collard 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/andrew-collard) - [![Andy Bott](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/me.jpg?width=75&name=me.jpg) Andy Bott 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/andy-bott) - [![Andy Dines](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Swegon%20UKI/20260519_095206.jpg?width=75&name=20260519_095206.jpg) Andy Dines 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/andy-dines) - [![Börje Lehrman](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/SE-SV%20-%20PRO%20-%20BACV/B%C3%B6rje_Lehrman.jpg?width=75&name=B%C3%B6rje_Lehrman.jpg) Börje Lehrman 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/börje-lehrman-1) - [![Carinne Grandjean](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/carinneg.webp?width=75&name=carinneg.webp) Carinne Grandjean 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/carinne-grandjean) - [![Carl-Ola Danielsson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/1494416201_4f37bc2792.jpg?width=75&name=1494416201_4f37bc2792.jpg) Carl-Ola Danielsson 3](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/carl-ola-danielsson) - [![Carl-Ola Danielsson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Carl%20Ola%20Danielsson.png?width=75&name=Carl%20Ola%20Danielsson.png) Carl-Ola Danielsson 3](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/carl-ola-danielsson) - [![Caroline Jacobsson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/Caroline%20Jacobsson.jpg?width=75&name=Caroline%20Jacobsson.jpg) Caroline Jacobsson 13](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/caroline-jacobsson) - [![Caroline Jacobsson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/Caroline%20Jacobsson.jpg?width=75&name=Caroline%20Jacobsson.jpg) Caroline Jacobsson 13](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/caroline-jacobsson) - [![Christoffer Lindström](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Christoffer_blogg.png?width=75&name=Christoffer_blogg.png) Christoffer Lindström 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/christoffer-lindström) - [![Dan Jones](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dan_jones.jpg?width=75&name=dan_jones.jpg) Dan Jones 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/dan-jones) - [![Darren Peel](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Darren.jpg?width=75&name=Darren.jpg) Darren Peel 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/darren-peel) - [![Dave Harding](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dave_harding.jpg?width=75&name=dave_harding.jpg) Dave Harding 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/david-harding) - [![Dene Kent](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Dene%20Kent%20Swegon.jpg?width=75&name=Dene%20Kent%20Swegon.jpg) Dene Kent 6](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/dene-kent) - [![Elvis Kokot](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/elviskokot.png?width=75&name=elviskokot.png) Elvis Kokot 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/elvis-kokot) - [![Fabio Polo](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Fabio%20Polo-1.jpg?width=75&name=Fabio%20Polo-1.jpg) Fabio Polo 7](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/fabio-polo) - [![Fabio Polo](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Fabio%20Polo-1.jpg?width=75&name=Fabio%20Polo-1.jpg) Fabio Polo 7](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/fabio-polo) - [![Federica Serena](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Serena.webp?width=75&name=Serena.webp) Federica Serena 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/federica-serena) - [![Francesco Artusi](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Francesco%20Artusi%20CUT.jpg?width=75&name=Francesco%20Artusi%20CUT.jpg) Francesco Artusi 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/francesco-artusi) - [Frank Schönfelder 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/frank-schönfelder) - [![François Jouvray](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Fran%C3%A7ois%20Jouvray%20swegon.jpg?width=75&name=Fran%C3%A7ois%20Jouvray%20swegon.jpg) François Jouvray 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/françois-jouvray) - [![Hannah Finning](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Image%20(5).jpg?width=75&name=Image%20(5).jpg) Hannah Finning 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/hannah-finning) - [![James Moore](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/download.jpg?width=75&name=download.jpg) James Moore 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/james-moore) - [![Jan Scheuring](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Photo_Jan-1.jpeg?width=75&name=Photo_Jan-1.jpeg) Jan Scheuring 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/jan-scheuring) - [![Jim Collings](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Swegon%20UKI/Jim%20Collings.jpeg?width=75&name=Jim%20Collings.jpeg) Jim Collings 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/jim-collings) - [![John Lindblom](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/johnl.png?width=75&name=johnl.png) John Lindblom 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/john-lindblom) - [![John Wibrand](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/John%20Wibrand.jpg?width=75&name=John%20Wibrand.jpg) John Wibrand 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/john-wibrand) - [![John Wibrand](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/John%20Wibrand.jpg?width=75&name=John%20Wibrand.jpg) John Wibrand 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/john-wibrand) - [![Josh Emerson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Josh_Emerson_Headshot.jpg?width=75&name=Josh_Emerson_Headshot.jpg) Josh Emerson 4](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/josh-emerson) - [![Josh Emerson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Josh_Emerson_Headshot.jpg?width=75&name=Josh_Emerson_Headshot.jpg) Josh Emerson 4](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/josh-emerson) - [![Luca Filippetto](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Luca%20Filippetto%20Hubspot.jpg?width=75&name=Luca%20Filippetto%20Hubspot.jpg) Luca Filippetto 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/luca-filippetto) - [![Luca Zordan](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/lucazordan.png?width=75&name=lucazordan.png) Luca Zordan 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/luca-zordan-1) - [![Magnus Andersson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/magnus%20andersson_550x550%20(1).jpg?width=75&name=magnus%20andersson_550x550%20(1).jpg) Magnus Andersson 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/magnus-andersson) - [![Malin Höij](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/malinh.webp?width=75&name=malinh.webp) Malin Höij 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/malin-höij) - [![Malin Höij](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/malinh.webp?width=75&name=malinh.webp) Malin Höij 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/malin-höij) - [![Markku Palola](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/Markku_Palola_50x83.jpg?width=75&name=Markku_Palola_50x83.jpg) Markku Palola 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/markku-palola) - [![Markus Schomaker](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Swegon%20UKI/Markus%20Schomaker.jpg?width=75&name=Markus%20Schomaker.jpg) Markus Schomaker 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/markus-schomaker) - [![Martin Brady](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1569580194632.jpg?width=75&name=1569580194632.jpg) Martin Brady 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/martin-brady) - [![Martin Ottersten](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/Martin_Ottersten.jpg?width=75&name=Martin_Ottersten.jpg) Martin Ottersten 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/martin-ottersten) - [![Martin Ottersten](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/Martin_Ottersten.jpg?width=75&name=Martin_Ottersten.jpg) Martin Ottersten 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/martin-ottersten) - [![Martin Procter](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MP.jpg?width=75&name=MP.jpg) Martin Procter 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/martin-procter) - [![Michael Ward](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Michael_Ward_photo.jpg?width=75&name=Michael_Ward_photo.jpg) Michael Ward 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/michael-ward) - [![Mikael Börjesson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/Mikael%20B%C3%B6rjesson.jpg?width=75&name=Mikael%20B%C3%B6rjesson.jpg) Mikael Börjesson 10](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/mikael-börjesson) - [![Mikael Börjesson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/Mikael%20B%C3%B6rjesson.jpg?width=75&name=Mikael%20B%C3%B6rjesson.jpg) Mikael Börjesson 10](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/mikael-börjesson) - [![Mike Ward](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Michael_Ward_photo.jpg?width=75&name=Michael_Ward_photo.jpg) Mike Ward 4](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/mike-ward) - [![Mirko Sauvan](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Swegon_Mirko%20Sauvan_web_3.jpg?width=75&name=Swegon_Mirko%20Sauvan_web_3.jpg) Mirko Sauvan 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/mirko-sauvan-1) - [![Morten von Sydow](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Morten.jpg?width=75&name=Morten.jpg) Morten von Sydow 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/morten-von-sydow) - [![Niklas Jacobsson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/authorniklas.png?width=75&name=authorniklas.png) Niklas Jacobsson 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/niklas-jacobsson) - [![Owen Crawford](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/0%20(1).jpg?width=75&name=0%20(1).jpg) Owen Crawford 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/owen-crawford) - [![Paola Moschini (Guest author)](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/forfattare.png?width=75&name=forfattare.png) Paola Moschini (Guest author) 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/paola-moschini) - [![Paolo Dalle Fratte](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Paolo%20profile%20image.jpg?width=75&name=Paolo%20profile%20image.jpg) Paolo Dalle Fratte 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/paolo-dalle-fratte) - [![Per-Åke Ottemark](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1521139778203.jpg?width=75&name=1521139778203.jpg) Per-Åke Ottemark 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/per-âke-ottemark) - [![Peter Faruqi Nicholas](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Peter%20Faruqi.jpg?width=75&name=Peter%20Faruqi.jpg) Peter Faruqi Nicholas 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/peter-faruqi-nicholas) - [![Philip Andersson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Philip_Andersson_pressbild_small_webb.jpg?width=75&name=Philip_Andersson_pressbild_small_webb.jpg) Philip Andersson 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/philip-andersson) - [![Robert Flaherty](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/RF%20photo.jpg?width=75&name=RF%20photo.jpg) Robert Flaherty 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/robert-flaherty) - [![Robert Siverby](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(3)-4.png?width=75&name=MicrosoftTeams-image%20(3)-4.png) Robert Siverby 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/robert-siverby) - [![Ryan Fossey](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Swegon%20UKI/Personal%20photo%201.jpg?width=75&name=Personal%20photo%201.jpg) Ryan Fossey 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/ryan-fossey) - [![Shannon Jezzard](https://blog.swegon.com/hubfs/1564654168812.jfif) Shannon Jezzard 3](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/shannon-jezzard) - [![Stefan Lay](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1517033472060.jpg?width=75&name=1517033472060.jpg) Stefan Lay 6](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/stefan-lay) - [![Steve Gore](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1516820800199.jpg?width=75&name=1516820800199.jpg) Steve Gore 10](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/steve-gore) - [![Swegon](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkedinSwegonlogo-1.jpg?width=75&name=LinkedinSwegonlogo-1.jpg) Swegon 10](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/swegon-0) - [Swegon Air Academy 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/swegon-air-academy) - [Eur Ing Professor Tim Dwyer 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/tim-dwyer) - [![Timo Schreck](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Timo%20Schreck.jpg?width=75&name=Timo%20Schreck.jpg) Timo Schreck 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/timo-schreck) - [![Tobias Nordström](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TobiasNordstromPHOTO.jpg?width=75&name=TobiasNordstromPHOTO.jpg) Tobias Nordström 2](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/tobias-nordström) - [![Toby Young](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Image2.jpeg?width=75&name=Image2.jpeg) Toby Young 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/toby-young) - [![Tony Olsson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Tony%20Olsson.webp?width=75&name=Tony%20Olsson.webp) Tony Olsson 5](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/tony-olsson) - [![Tony Olsson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Tony%20Olsson.webp?width=75&name=Tony%20Olsson.webp) Tony Olsson 5](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/tony-olsson) - [![Tony Pettersson](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/tonyp.jpg?width=75&name=tonyp.jpg) Tony Pettersson 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/tony-pettersson) - [![Welat Han](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Welat%20Han.jpg?width=75&name=Welat%20Han.jpg) Welat Han 3](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/welat-han) - [![William Lawrance](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/William_lawrance.jpg?width=75&name=William_lawrance.jpg) William Lawrance 5](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/william-lawrance) - [![William Lawrance](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/SE-SV%20-%20PRO%20-%20BACV/William%20Lawrance.jpg?width=75&name=William%20Lawrance.jpg) William Lawrance 5](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/william-lawrance) - [![Åsa Norén-Lundh](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/A%CC%8Asa%20Nore%CC%81n-Lundh.webp?width=75&name=A%CC%8Asa%20Nore%CC%81n-Lundh.webp) Åsa Norén-Lundh 4](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/åsa-norén-lundh) - [![Åsa Norén-Lundh](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/SE-SV%20-%20PRO%20-%20BACV/%C3%85sa%20Nor%C3%A9n-Lundh.png?width=75&name=%C3%85sa%20Nor%C3%A9n-Lundh.png) Åsa Norén-Lundh 4](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/åsa-norén-lundh) - [![Åsa Norén-Lundh](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AsaLN.jpg?width=75&name=AsaLN.jpg) Åsa Norén-Lundh 1](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/åsa-norén-lundh-1) Explore - - - [All About Indoor Climate](https://blog.swegon.com/uk?hsLang=en-gb) Subscribe Share - - - Explore Share Subscribe [« go back](https://blog.swegon.com/uk) # Clearing the Air: Effective Strategies for Cold Smoke Extraction in the NHS [Peter Faruqi Nicholas](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/peter-faruqi-nicholas) Jul 23, 2025 Clearing the Air: Effective Strategies for Cold Smoke Extraction in the NHS 5:25 In the aftermath of a fire, the visible danger may be gone, but the threat isn’t. Residual smoke, often referred to as "cold smoke," can linger in a building long after the flames have been extinguished. In hospitals, where safety and hygiene are paramount, effectively clearing this smoke is not just a matter of comfort - it’s a matter of critical operational and patient safety. Smoke inhalation after a fire event may not cause loss of life, but even small amounts of smoke inhaled can lead to long-term health effects, including respiratory and heart disease. Therefore, the control of smoke is essential to any life safety system controlling the spread of fire and smoke.   What is Cold Smoke? To clarify the difference between ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ smoke, it is necessary to define what we mean by the terms. Hot smoke will typically be created during the fire event, and in certain scenarios will need to be extracted as part of the fire strategy – for example, in a London basement. Hot smoke has energy and is fast-moving. Cold smoke is the residual smoke created from a fire event; it is slow-moving, can be poisonous and as dangerous as hot smoke. It will be thick and may obscure vision if not cleared. Cold smoke will be present in fire events where the designer has created compartmentation to contain the fire and smoke from spreading to other areas of the building. Designers will often request whether this smoke can be extracted post-fire. While cold smoke extraction isn’t always mandated in building regulations, it offers substantial operational and health benefits -especially in hospitals where downtime and air quality can directly impact patient care, and expensive machinery should be shielded from the effects of smoke damage wherever possible. In a ‘hot’ smoke extraction system, the choices are simpler. The smoke in these examples will be extracted through smoke control ductwork, utilising smoke control dampers conforming to EN12101-8 and smoke fans to EN12101-3. The standards are clear, and designers can make informed decisions on strategy and product selection. Cold smoke clearance is not so simple. In hot smoke control systems, the duct interior forms part of the compartment exposed to fire. Smoke control dampers are employed to isolate branches serving other compartments, thereby preserving fire and smoke separation. A smoke control damper is not a fail-safe device; there is no electro-thermal release mechanism, so after the fire event, the damper, if still functional, may be opened to provide a conduit for cold smoke. A system designed for compartmentation with fail-safe motorised fire dampers provides more challenges. Why would we need cold smoke extraction? Cold smoke can be as poisonous and dangerous as hot smoke. Often, the result of partially extinguished fires is the residue of cold smoke, which will inhibit the activities of the firefighters in making the building safe. Moreover, escape routes must be kept clear of cold smoke – and applying strategies in line with Approved Document B needs to be adhered to. The Hidden Challenge of Hospital Design In buildings like hospitals, where patient care continues immediately post-fire, managing this residual smoke becomes essential. The challenge of cold smoke extraction in hospitals where the extensive use of ES/EIS Classified fail-safe fire dampers are used for compartmentation is the electro–thermal release on the motorised fire damper. In a fire event, if the ambient temperature next to the damper or within the duct exceeds 72°C, the damper will close and remain closed. In any system, this can mean that the post-fire extraction of smoke will be impossible. The problem in this example is how to enable the fire safety system to know that it cannot extract. If operating theatres or MRI suites are in use after the fire event, they will need to be protected from fire and smoke so the medical procedure can be concluded. Pressurising the occupied space will ensure there is no ingress of smoke. Monitoring of the HVAC systems and the ductwork will be necessary to prevent any breaks in compartmentation. If using an addressable Damper Control Panel (DCP), the damper statuses can be fed directly to the BMS or Fire Alarm system to indicate a fault. It is important to note that if the dampers are in their designated cause-and-effect positions, no fault will be reported.  In summation, a DCP and a well-designed Override panel offer - The ability to observe damper status in real time - Detect faults - Control extraction fans dynamically based on system status - Actively managing dampers and fans to avoid drawing smoke into clean zones Using a system in this manner provides a robust design that anticipates the need for cold smoke removal and can significantly ease post-incident revival of the space, protect staff and patients, and ensure faster return to full operational capacity. Final Thought Cold smoke may be slow, but its impact is lasting. By designing with extraction and recovery in mind, hospitals can be better prepared - not just for the fire, but for what comes after, helping to ensure continuity of care and minimise disruption to critical services. Topics: - [Smoke and Fire Dampers](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/smoke-and-fire-dampers) - - - [![Peter Faruqi Nicholas](https://blog.swegon.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Peter%20Faruqi.jpg?width=200&name=Peter%20Faruqi.jpg)](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/peter-faruqi-nicholas) [Peter Faruqi Nicholas](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/peter-faruqi-nicholas) Peter has 25 years experience in working in a wide variety of HVAC companies. He has spent the past 6 years specifying fire and smoke dampers as well as control systems in the UK, and is now serving as a the National Sales and Specification Manager (South) for Actionair. ## Recommended reading - [Smoke and Fire Dampers](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/smoke-and-fire-dampers) ### [Steve Gore](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/steve-gore) ## [5 Key Considerations for DWFX-F Installation](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/5-key-considerations-for-dwfx-f-installation?hsLang=en-gb) The SmokeShield DWFX-F damper flange is designed for use with a wide … - [Smoke and Fire Dampers](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/smoke-and-fire-dampers) ### [Josh Emerson](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/josh-emerson) ## [What You Should Know When Installing Fire Dampers](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/what-you-should-know-when-installing-fire-dampers?hsLang=en-gb) Fire dampers play a crucial role in maintaining building safety by … - [Smoke and Fire Dampers](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/tag/smoke-and-fire-dampers) ### [Steve Gore](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/author/steve-gore) ## [Demystifying Fire Damper Classifications](https://blog.swegon.com/uk/demystifying-fire-damper-classifications?hsLang=en-gb) Approved Document B defines Fire Resistance as the ability of a … Get updates from the blog directly to your inbox. #### Get to know us - [Why Swegon?](https://www.swegon.com/uk/why-swegon/) - [Solutions & services](https://www.swegon.com/uk/solutions-and-services/) - [Products](https://www.swegon.com/uk/products/) - [References & Insights](https://www.swegon.com/uk/references-and-insights/) - [Support & Software](https://www.swegon.com/uk/support/) - [BlueBox Chiller ERP](http://www.blueboxcooling.com/) - [Sustainability](https://www.swegon.com/uk/sustainability/) #### More Swegon - [About us](https://www.swegon.com/uk/about-swegon/) - [Our Brands](https://www.swegon.com/uk/about-swegon/our-brands/) - [Contact](https://www.swegon.com/uk/contact/) - [Careers](https://www.swegon.com/uk/careers/) - [Information for suppliers](https://www.swegon.com/uk/contact/suppliers/) - [Swegon Designer Suite](https://sds.swegon.com/) - [Swegon Air Academy](https://www.swegonairacademy.com/en/) #### Subscribe to our blog [![](https://www.swegon.com/siteassets/logos/swegon-logo-white.svg)](https://www.swegon.com/uk/) Swegon Ltd, 5 Charterpoint Way, Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire LE65 1NF - [Privacy statement](https://www.swegon.com/uk/privacy-policy/) - [Cookies](https://www.swegon.com/uk/cookies/) - [Processing personal data](https://www.swegon.com/uk/privacy-policy/processing-personal-data/) - [Vulnerability disclosure policy](https://www.swegon.com/uk/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/) - [![Youtube](https://www.swegon.com/Static/img/youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/user/SwegonAB) - [![Linkedin](https://www.swegon.com/Static/img/linkedin.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/swegon-ab/) - [![Facebook](https://www.swegon.com/Static/img/facebook.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/swegongroup)