On the 4th September 2024, the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 Report was published after many years of waiting. This report detailed who was to blame for the Grenfell tragedy and what changes must be made to create a safer living environment for all. In this guide, we take a look at the recommendations portion of the report and dig deeper into what these suggestions could mean for you and your industry. Although, at present, these are just suggestions, some changes have already been put in place so it is important you are up to date with the latest developments in your industry.
- The Grenfell Tower Fire and Inquiry: A Recap
- The Key Recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry
- Specific Recommendations Relating to the Construction Industry
- Will These Recommendations Be Implemented?
The Grenfell Tower Fire and Inquiry: A Recap
In the early hours of June 14, 2017, a fire broke out in a fourth-floor flat in Grenfell Tower and began rapidly spreading up the residential building. After thorough investigations, it was concluded the combustible cladding and insulation installed a few months before were to blame for the speed at which the tower caught fire. The tragedy prompted further investigations into building regulations and how the combustible cladding was allowed to be installed in the first place.
The Grenfell Inquiry summarised all of its findings into a final report that was published in September 2024. This report clearly placed responsibility on a number of organisations and professional bodies for their role in the Grenfell fire. From the “systematic dishonesty” of those involved in the creation and sale of the unsafe cladding including Arconic, Celotex to the British Government and London Fire Brigade, this comprehensive report covered all the organisations that failed the residents of Grenfell Tower.
But the report doesn’t end there. One of the biggest takeaways from the Grenfell Inquiry is the recommendations suggested at the end of the report. There were a total of 58 recommendations listed at the end of the report that covered areas including:
- The Construction Industry
- The Government
- Legislation and Guidance
- Fire Safety Strategy
- Certification of Products
- Fire Engineers
- Architects
- Contractors
- Clients
- Building Control
- Social Housing Providers
- The London Fire Brigade
- Response and Recovery
- Vulnerable People
Let’s delve into the key recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry and how they might affect you.
The Key Recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry
1. Using a Single Regulator to Check Products for Legal and Industry Standard Compliance
One of the key failures that led to the Grenfell Tower fire was the “systematic dishonesty” of the businesses that created and sold unsafe cladding products. The report states fire tests were conducted on the products that revealed the cladding was unsafe and “burned violently”, but these results were kept confidential leading to other businesses using these cladding products without knowing the dangers. By requiring manufacturers to provide a full testing history and material circumstances affecting product performance, unsafe products can be identified and contractors can avoid using them.
2. New Legislation and Guidance to Help Improve Industry Practices
The Grenfell Inquiry states the review and revision of legislation and guidance is a matter of urgency, particularly of the Approved Document B. The current guidance listed in these regulations were deemed to be unsatisfactory and a revised version of the guidance is highly recommended. Although there are no specific amendments suggested in the report, it is recommended a board of bodies including academics and those with practical experience should advise on what changes must be made to guidance.
3. A New National Fire and Rescue Body to Provide Education and Training
It is suggested that a College of Fire and Rescue should be formed to provide national training, education and research services to better inform fire and rescue services. This would include practical training, lectures and seminars on the different aspects of the fire and rescue services to share experiences and research into areas such as major fires to equip fire and rescue services with the knowledge to tackle different fires safely. This new national body would become the go-to place for education, training and other services relating to the fire and rescue services across the country.
4. Creating One Government Department with a Single Secretary of State to Oversee Fire Safety
To reduce the current fragmentation of the responsibility of fire safety across different government departments, it is suggested a single government department be created with a single secretary of state to oversee everything relating to fire safety. The current system is inefficient and an obstacle to effective regulation. By creating one united department, the emphasis on ensuring greater fire safety in all buildings and the process of developing new fire safety policies can be streamlined, facilitating a more effective and rapid response to fire safety issues.
5. An Independent Inspection of the London Fire Brigade
There were key areas of the London Fire Brigade that were questioned in the Grenfell Inquiry. For example, the failure to provide knowledge and training on cladding fires, the way the large volume of 999 calls was handled and the information the control room was relaying to trapped residents were all issues highlighted in the report.
To avoid a similar situation from happening again, the report recommends an independent inspection of the London Fire Brigade where these issues can be addressed. The inspection would assess the organisation of the control room and its ability to handle multiple 999 calls, the training of incident commanders and the arrangements for identifying high-risk residential buildings and how this information is managed.
6. Improved Training for Architects in Fire Safety Standards
The Grenfell Inquiry highlighted a widespread failure among architects to properly understand the nature of materials being chosen for high-rise buildings, particularly in relation to fire safety. Since the Grenfell Tower fire, steps have been taken by the Architects Registration Board and the Royal Institute of British Architects to improve the education and training of architects in these areas. It is recommended that these changes are reviewed to ensure they are sufficient.
Additionally, calls for applications for building control approval for higher-risk buildings to be supported by a statement from a senior manager to be made a statutory requirement have been suggested to ensure all the appropriate steps have been taken to comply with Building Regulations.
Specific Recommendations Relating to the Construction Industry
With over 58 recommendations in the Grenfell Inquiry, it can be hard to determine which areas will specifically affect you. Here is a summary of the recommendations that you should be aware of:
- Unified Regulation: A single independent body (a construction regulator) should be created to oversee all aspects of the construction industry, including product regulation, testing, certification and building control.
- A Chief Construction Advisor: A person with a good working knowledge and practical experience of the construction industry should be appointed to provide advice on all matters affecting the construction industry.
- Licensing for Contractors: Introduce a licensing scheme for principal contractors working on higher-risk buildings, operated by the construction regulator.
- Personal Responsibility: Require a personal undertaking from a director or senior manager of the principal contractor to ensure building safety compliance when applying for building control approval.
- Product Certification and Testing: Make the construction regulator responsible for assessing and certifying construction products’ conformity with regulations and standards. This will include requiring manufacturers to provide full testing histories of products.
- Fire Safety Strategy: Require a fire safety strategy produced by a registered fire engineer to be submitted with building control applications for higher-risk buildings.
- Improved Testing Methods: Develop new test methods to provide better information for assessing external wall systems’ fire performance.
- Publication of Test Data: Create a publicly accessible library of test data and publications related to construction materials and fire safety.
- Review of Building Regulations and Guidance: Urgently review and revise Approved Document B (Fire Safety Guidance) to ensure it provides clear, comprehensive information for designing safe buildings.
- Definition of Higher-Risk Buildings: Review and potentially expand the definition of “higher-risk buildings” beyond just height, considering factors like building use and occupant vulnerability.
- Mandatory Accreditation for Fire Risk Assessors: Establish a system of mandatory accreditation to certify the competence of fire risk assessors.
Will These Recommendations Be Implemented?
Before the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 Report was published, some changes were already made or are in the process of being made. For example, there have already been updates to Building Regulations (Fire Safety) including sprinklers in care homes from March 2025 and second staircases in buildings over 18m from September 2026. There have also been amendments to various regulations as per the Phase 1 report and new rules have been implemented such as the ban on combustible materials being used on new high-rise buildings.
As for the recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry Final Report, the government is not obligated to implement many of the recommendations but according to a progress report from February 2024, 33 of the 46 recommendations from the Phase 1 Report have been completed.
A number of industries including fire safety, construction, architecture, and the legal sector have all made initial comments on the Grenfell Inquiry Final Report. Organisations from each sector have “welcomed the publication of the final report” and are working to create the appropriate guidance and changes to implement the report’s recommendations to avoid another tragedy like Grenfell.
With the report only published a few weeks ago, it is now in the hands of the Government and appropriate organisations to make the changes as recommended by the report to create a safer living environment for all.
There have been no decisions made about the future of Grenfell Tower. For now, the tower stands as a reminder of the tragedy that occurred and the changes that need to be made.
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FAQs
What is the Grenfell inquiry summary?
The Grenfell Inquiry was an investigation conducted in two phases to determine what led to the Grenfell Tower fire. The Phase 1 report was published in 2019. The final report was published on 4 September 2024 with details of how a chain of failures led to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Who is leading the Grenfell Tower Inquiry?
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, appointed by the Prime Minister on 28 June 2017.
Who was at fault for Grenfell Tower?
The report listed numerous people who were responsible for the Grenfell Tower fire. This included architects such as Studio E, the makers and sellers of the unsafe cladding Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan, and The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Tenant Management Organisation to name a few.
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