The Grenfell Tower Disaster

The Grenfell Tower Fire devastated the nation on 14^th June 2017. This tragic event left a dent in the hearts of communities across the UK.

The Grenfell Tower was a 24-story residential building in North Kensington, London, that caught fire. This tragic event highlighted the changes we need in the construction and building industry to ensure that catastrophic events like this never occur again.

In this blog, we discuss the changes made after the Grenfell Tower disaster and how we can become compliant with these changes.

How did the Grenfell Tower fire start?

The Grenfell Tower Fire started by a faulty Hotpoint fridge-freezer located in a flat on the fourth floor of the building.

Due to the building’s external cladding being made of a highly flammable material, aluminium composite material (ACM) with a polyethylene core, the fire spread throughout the building rapidly.

Failings exposed by Grenfell Tower Inquiry Report

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Report found multiple findings of failings that led to the extreme results of the Grenfell Tower Fire, such as:

• Dangerous cladding and little consideration for fire safety
• Little acknowledgements to complaints from residents
• Lack of adequate response to safety inspections
• No clear accountability across the scope of a project to occupancy
• Poor building design and layout
• Cutting costs and the use of unsafe materials
• Lack of emergency preparedness

What was the impact of the fire?

On 14^th June 2017, 72 people lost their lives to the Grenfell Tower disaster and many others were injured.

This tragic event remains one of the deadliest fires in recent UK history. The fire also had a profound emotional and psychological impact on survivors and the local community.

Why was the Building Safety Act Introduced?

The Building Safety Act was introduced on 28^th April 2022 due to the Grenfell Tower Tragedy. The Grenfell Tower Fire exposed many failings with the structure of the building, which could have been easily avoided.

Afterwards, the fire led to widespread public outrage and calls for change in building regulations. This act being introduced, aims to improve building safety regulations, ensure accountability, and protect residents from fire and structural hazards.

To find out more, you can visit the following websites that form part of the residents’ campaign.

https://grenfellunited.org.uk/

https://www.grenfellfoundation.org.uk/

How can we prevent this from happening again?

To significantly reduce the risk of such tragedies, it is crucial that all duty holders involved in a project adhere to the Building Safety Act 2022. The lessons learned from this disaster have led to vital regulatory changes, making it essential for professionals to continuously update their knowledge and stay compliant with Building Safety Regulations.

To support this, we offer Building Safety Act Awareness and Building Safety Act Change Control eLearning, providing individuals with the flexibility to stay informed on the latest regulations at their own pace.

The Building Safety Act places clear accountability on those responsible for designing, constructing, and managing buildings. This reinforces the need for proactive compliance, transparency, and a firm commitment to fire and structural safety.

Overall, with these industry-wide improvements, we can work toward ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again.

Enquire today about training for the installation of rainscreen cladding.