TDUK welcomes the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 2 report.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report was published last week. A sobering document, it criticizes systemic failures throughout the construction industry. It speaks of complacency right across the board: from government departments to product manufacturers, designers, contractors and subcontractors.
The enquiry has made 58 key recommendations, which can be found at the end of the Executive Summary.
Timber was not a factor in the Grenfell disaster – the tower was not a timber-frame building and the cladding used was not a wood product. But there are nonetheless lessons to learn from the enquiry for TDUK members.
One is the importance of thoroughly understanding the performance of a building material or product. We urge all our members that specify or supply products to ensure they properly understand and communicate their performance, for the context they are to be used in.
The choice of materials, including panels and insulation, was severely criticized by the enquiry for having been picked simply because “they had been used on other projects, rather than in reliance on any detailed information obtained about the nature of the product”.
Another issue immediately apparent in the report is the necessity of defining responsibilities and accountability for each role on a building project. The enquiry was highly critical, for example, of the architects’ assumption that it was not their responsibility to ensure that materials met fire safety standards but that of the sub-contractors and suppliers. Everyone working on a project should be aware of what their contractual responsibilities are.
The report is lengthy and very detailed, and there is a lot to take in. Timber Development UK will be publishing further observations once we have fully digested all its implications.
The loss of life at Grenfell was entirely avoidable, as the report makes clear. TDUK sends its sympathy and solidarity to the families and wider community affected by the Grenfell tragedy.
Related resources from TDUK
The Building Safety Act: what do you need to know?
Design for fire safety: working with a fire engineer (upcoming webinar)
Fire Design: Principles (Timber Knowledge Sheet)
Fire Design: Regulation (Timber Knowledge Sheet)
Fire Design: Passive Fire Protection (Timber Knowledge Sheet)
Flame Retardant Treatments (Timber Knowledge Sheet)
Upgrading Doors for Fire Resistance (Timber Knowledge Sheet)
