The Grenfell Tower fire started in the early hours of June 2017, claiming the lives of 72 people. It has been named Britain’s biggest cladding failure as the extent to which the fire spread could have been prevented with the use of safe cladding materials. In this guide, we delve into the Grenfell Tower tragedy seven years on and what changes have been made to put the safety and lives of residents first. Let’s take a look at how the cladding industry in the UK has been shaped by the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
- The Grenfell Tower Tragedy
- Key Lessons Learned
- Britain’s Cladding Crisis in a Nutshell
- How 4 Cladding Services Can Make a Difference in the Remediation Process
- What’s Next?
The Grenfell Tower Tragedy
The Grenfell Tower fire started in the early hours of June 14, 2017, in North Kensington, London. The blaze began in a fourth-floor flat and rapidly spread up the 24-story building, engulfing the structure within hours. It took firefighters over 24 hours to put out the fire completely. The fire’s unprecedented speed was largely attributed to the building’s recently installed combustible cladding and insulation making it one of Britain’s biggest cladding failures.
Tragically, 72 people lost their lives, making it the UK’s deadliest residential fire since World War II. The fire triggered calls for investigations into building regulations, fire safety measures and social housing policies. As unsafe cladding was largely to blame for the extent of the fire, this tragedy also prompted concern over high-rise building safety and led to a public inquiry, which highlighted the cladding crisis affecting thousands of buildings in the UK.
Key Lessons Learned
In the recently released Grenfell Inquiry Final Report, key lessons and findings were published to determine who was responsible for the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The key points of this report include:
- The Government was warned about the potential dangers of the unsafe cladding 25 years before the Grenfell Tower fire. With multiple fires in high-rise buildings before the Grenfell Tower fire, experts repeatedly alerted the Government about flammable cladding but it wasn’t banned as it was already deemed safe.
- Fire tests conducted on the cladding in question revealed the cladding “burned violently” but these results were kept confidential.
- The 2010 Coalition Government ignored these matters of safety and instead aimed to cut regulations instead of improving matters. The Housing Department was also poorly run and fire safety was not a priority.
- The dangers of the cladding in question were deliberately concealed resulting in “systematic dishonesty” from all those involved in making and selling the cladding. This led people to believe their cladding products were suitable and safe to use.
- The unsafe cladding was newly installed but the refit was poorly managed by contractors and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Tenant Management Organisation. With an indifference to fire safety, this organisation showed little care towards the vulnerable residents of Grenfell Tower.
- Many bodies were named responsible for the failure to protect those in Grenfell Tower with their disregard for fire safety.
- The London Fire Brigade was also named as a responsible body as they failed to provide knowledge and training on cladding fires to their team, did not plan for the large volume of 999 calls and did not train staff on what to tell trapped residents in the building.
Britain’s Cladding Crisis in a Nutshell
Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Britain’s cladding crisis has remained a prominent topic of conversation due to the extent of combustible cladding and insulation that has been identified on high-rise structures. Post-Grenfell investigations have found that thousands of buildings were clad in similar hazardous materials, leaving residents in potential danger and facing significant financial burdens such as significant increases in home insurance.
The crisis doesn’t just end with unsafe cladding and insulation. Inadequate fire safety measures in general are also highlighted such as faulty fire doors and other fire safety measures.
With measures such as the ban on combustible materials being used on new high-rise buildings and funding programs for remediation work, the Government has taken steps to address this ongoing issue. However, progress has been slow and many argue that the response has been insufficient.
Leaseholders are also facing huge financial burdens as they may have to pay for upgrades in safety measures and increased insurance premiums due to the dangers of unsafe cladding. Many residents are also unable to sell their properties as estate agents steer clear of these properties and mortgage lenders are unwilling to approve mortgage applications for buildings containing combustible cladding.
Although there is some progress with the cladding crisis, there are still hundreds of buildings that have not begun their remediation work and thousands of residents living in unsafe conditions. With more Government schemes being introduced to target the cladding crisis, such as the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS), it is hopeful that more remediation projects will commence in the near future.
Risks in Remediation Work
With the ongoing remediation efforts in the UK, a new focus of health and safety in the removal and installation of cladding has been made a priority. There are many risks associated with remediation works including:
- Working at Height: Working on buildings 11m and above means safety measures must be in place to ensure the safety of all workers including safety harnesses and fall arrest systems.
- Correct Installation Process: If cladding is not installed correctly, it can lead to fall bits of cladding breaking away and falling off causing further damage or even dampness.
- Manual Handling: Safe lifting techniques and vacuum lifters must be in place to ensure workers don’t injure and strain themselves.
- Hazardous Materials: Workers must have training in the proper handling of dangerous materials to avoid any accidents.
- Fire Safety: This is very important in the case of remediation works given the flammable nature of the cladding. Fire safety measures such as fire extinguishers must be on hand in case of a fire.
- Weather Conditions: Workers must monitor the weather to ensure the conditions are appropriate to complete any work.
- Equipment Safety: Any tools or equipment that are used should have regular maintenance and servicing to make sure they are working properly.
How 4 Cladding Services Can Make a Difference in the Remediation Process
With risks such as working at a height and handling heavy materials, the remediation process can be hazardous for workers. That’s where vacuum lifters come in. To improve the safety of workers, vacuum lifters can be used to:
- Reduce manual handling risks
- Improve working at a height safety
- Enhance stability during various weather conditions
- Increase efficiency
- Make for more precise placement
- Reduce the risk of panel damage
If you are looking for tools and equipment to elevate the safety of your remediation work, look no further. At 4 Cladding Services, we have a range of cladding tools to make remediation safer. The Clad Boy CB3, CB4 and CB5 are able to lift all types of composite roof and wall panels making them essential for the cladding removal and installation process. Find out more about the Clad Boy range today!
What’s Next?
With the Grenfell Inquiry Final Report recently released, there are 58 recommendations that have been suggested to ensure another tragedy like Grenfell does not happen again. Some of the key recommendations made in the report include:
- Using a single regulator to check products for legal and industry standard compliance
- New legislation and guidance to help improve industry practices
- A new national fire and rescue body to provide education and training
- Creating one government department and a single secretary of state to oversee fire safety
- An independent inspection of the London Fire Brigade
- Improved training for architects in fire safety standards
FAQs
What changes were made after the Grenfell Tower fire?
The Grenfell Inquiry has made 58 recommendations including creating new legislation and guidance to help improve industry practices and conducting an independent inspection of the London Fire Brigade. Previous to this, changes such as stricter building regulations and new legislation such as the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022 were introduced.
What were the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry?
There were many findings of the Grenfell Inquiry that determined who was responsible for the Grenfell fire. Some key findings include:
- The Government was warned about the potential dangers of the unsafe cladding 25 years before the Grenfell Tower fire.
- Fire tests conducted on the cladding in question revealed the cladding “burned violently” but these results were kept confidential.
- The dangers of the cladding in question were deliberately concealed resulting in “systematic dishonesty” from all those involved in making and selling the cladding including Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan.
- Many bodies were named responsible for the failure to protect those in Grenfell Tower including multiple contractors and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Tenant Management Organisation.
- The London Fire Brigade was also named as a responsible body as they failed to provide knowledge and training on cladding fires to their team, did not plan for the large volume of 999 calls and did not train staff on what to tell trapped residents in the building.
How long will the Grenfell inquiry last?
The Grenfell Inquiry was conducted in two phases. The first phase of the report was published in 2019 with the second phase published on the 4th September 2024. The inquiry has taken many years due to the complexities of the situation.
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