A concise reference guide to the main composite panel types found in UK buildings - core materials, fire classifications, insurance implications and typical installation periods at a glance.
Back to Knowledge BaseMany different types of composite insulated panel are present in the UK industrial and commercial building stock. A typical food factory will contain more than a single panel type – often many more, reflecting different construction phases and applications within the same building.
Very few sites have accurate records of what panel types are present and where. This guide provides a reference framework for the main panel categories, intended for facilities managers, insurance professionals and anyone involved in composite panel risk assessment who needs a reliable overview without the technical depth of the full guides.
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) cores are highly combustible, produce molten flaming droplets when burning, and are not acceptable to UK insurers for most industrial risk applications. These panels were widely used in the 1970s and 1980s and remain present in many older buildings. Visual identification is difficult without opening the construction.
Standard Polyurethane (PUR) – particularly older formulations produced before LPS testing became standard – is combustible, produces toxic smoke, and is not acceptable for high-risk applications. Most UK insurers treat buildings with unidentified foam-core panels as if they contain non-approved PUR until evidence of actual panel type is provided.
LPS 1181 or 1208-approved Polyisocyanurate (PIR) represents the mainstream of current industrial panel specification. Approved PIR has better reaction-to-fire performance than standard PUR and is acceptable to most UK insurers for standard to moderate-risk applications. EN13501-1 classifications typically fall in the Class B–C range for approved PIR products.
Modified Phenolic Foam (MPHEN) provides enhanced fire resistance – up to 60 minutes (subject to construction detail) – and is suitable for most risk applications. It is heavier and more expensive than PIR and less commonly specified.
Mineral Wool is non-combustible and achieves EN13501-1 Class A1 or A2. It provides fire resistance up to 240 minutes (subject to construction detail) and is the preferred core material for high-risk applications – cooking areas, pharmaceutical cleanrooms, fire-rated compartment constructions. It is heavier and thermally less efficient than foam cores.
A composite panel survey forms a crucial part of managing fire risk and health and safety on site and is instrumental in obtaining competitive insurance cover for a site – including buildings and business interruption coverage.
A proactive approach ensures long-term safety and compliance. Panel Check encourages all site owners, managers and responsible persons to conduct panel surveys, enabling them to manage risk effectively and gain the commercial benefits of reduced insurance costs and improved audit outcomes.
This quick reference guide is a starting point – not a substitute for a formal panel assessment. The information here provides a framework for understanding what panel types are likely to be present in a building of a given age and application, and what the insurance implications of those panel types are. It does not provide the verified, site-specific evidence that UK insurers require.
When engaging with your insurer or broker on composite panel cover, the question you will be asked is not “what category of panel do you have?” but “can you provide independent verified evidence of the panel types present and their condition?” The answer to that question is a Panel Check assessment report – not a general description of likely panel types based on building age.
The value of this guide is in helping building owners understand the risk landscape before commissioning a formal assessment, and in helping insurance professionals understand the basis on which Panel Check assessments classify the panels they find.
Panel Check encourages all building owners, facilities managers and insurance professionals to make contact for an initial conversation about the assessment requirements for their specific building. In many cases, the scope and cost of a Panel Check assessment can be established from a brief discussion and a review of available building information – without any site visit commitment. That initial conversation is free and without obligation.
Where a building has panels from multiple eras – a common situation in UK food factories that have been built and extended over several decades – the overall risk profile reflects the highest-risk panel type present, not an average. A building that is predominantly mineral wool but contains a single area of early EPS panels will be assessed by most underwriters on the basis of the EPS, not the mineral wool. Panel Check assessments identify and locate all panel types present, allowing building owners to understand exactly where the risk lies and to prioritise remediation accordingly.
The quickest and most practical starting point is a conversation with Panel Check about the buildings you manage. In many cases, a brief review of available building information allows us to scope an appropriate assessment programme before any site visit. That initial conversation is free and without obligation, and it will give you a clear picture of what an assessment involves, what it costs, and what it is likely to find in your specific building.