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Posted on 09/10/2024 in Building & Construction Fire Safety 2024
“Systematic dishonesty” on cladding

Grenfell fire inquiry concludes responsibility of Government, cladding companies, the building industry, as well as architects (Studio E), contractors (Rydon, Harley Facades), fire engineers and fire testing (Exova Warrington), the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and the London Fire Brigade. Each and every one of the 72 deaths in the 2017 fire were “avoidable”. The 1 700 page final Inquiry report underlines that the non fire-safe combustible cladding and insulation materials used in the 2015-2016 renovation of the tower were the main reason for the rapid and deadly spread of the fire. The Grenfell Inquiry had already (Phase I) established that the fire stared in a Whirlpool Hotpoint fridge-freezer, probably containing non fire-safety treated materials (pinfa Newsletter n°147). The report regrets the “merry-go-round of buck-passing” throughout the Enquiry with neither regulators nor industry accepting responsibility. It underlines the chronic lack of fire safety competence across the construction industry. After fires in the 1990’s, UK Governments had been warned about the dangers of combustible cladding and industry fire safety practices, but ignored this. The Inquiry report says that Arconic, manufacturer of Reynobond 55, considered the largest contributor to the fire, “deliberately concealed” the dangers of its product with “deliberate and sustained strategies to manipulate the testing processes, misrepresent data and mislead the market”. The report also criticises Celotex and Kingspan. Kingspan’s statement on the Inquiry report says that the company acknowledges the “wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business” and states that the Kingspan product “made no material difference” to the fire, blaming Arconic’s PE ACM (polyethylene aluminium composite material) panels. Arconic state “This product was safe to use as a building material, and legal to sell in the UK … (Arconic) did not conceal information from or mislead any certification body, customer, or the public.” The 18 pages of Inquiry recommendations include the establishment of a bofdy of regulated and accredited fire engineers and fire risk assessors, streamlining of fire safety regulation and clarification of information on fire tests to be provided with construction products.

EAFPF (European Association for Passive Fire Protection) published a statement welcoming the Grenfell inquire conclusions, in particular the recommendations to fire safety regulations and responsibilities for their implementation. EAFPF welcomes the report’s criticism of small-scale material fire tests and the need for large scale testing of façade systems. EAFPF underlines that the inquiry conclusions are relevant across Europe.

pinfa respects all those who died or still suffer today the consequences of what was an avoidable disaster. pinfa supports the widespread calls that the Grenfell Inquiry’s detailed recommendations be examined and implemented, both in the UK and where relevant in other countries.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry final (Phase II) report, 4th September 2024  https://www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/phase-2-report

“Grenfell Report: Key findings from the inquiry”, BBC, 4th September 2024 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c049yvrd5qxo

“‘Systematic dishonesty’ by product manufacturers ‘very significant reason’ for Grenfell’s deadly cladding, inquiry concludes”, Inside Housing, 4th September 2024 https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/systematic-dishonesty-by-product-manufacturers-very-significant-reason-for-grenfells-deadly-cladding-inquiry-concludes-88334

EAFPF statement, September 2024 https://eapfp.com/eapfp-statement-in-response-to-the-grenfell-tower-public-inquiry-phase-two-final-report/

Photo: Natalie Oxford, WikiCommons https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grenfell_Tower_fire_%28wider_view%29.jpg

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