On Wednesday, a public inquiry into the fatal 2017 London Grenfell Tower fire blamed the incident on failures by the government, the building industry, and the majority of the corporations engaged in installing combustible cladding on the exterior.
Seventy-two people were killed after a fire ripped through a 23-story social housing building in one of west London’s wealthiest areas early on June 14, 2017. It was Britain’s deadliest fire in a residential structure since World War II.
In its long-awaited final report, the inquiry blamed the majority of the disaster on companies involved in the apartment tower’s maintenance and refit, failures by local and national authorities, and companies that misrepresented combustible cladding materials as safe.
There was also significant criticism and blame directed at the government, the Kensington and Chelsea local authority, the industry, regulatory groups, specific individuals, and an underprepared fire department for years of inaction on fire safety in high-rise buildings.
“The fire at Grenfell Tower was the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry,” according to the over 1,700-page inquiry report.
In the years since the conflagration, survivors and relatives of those killed have asked that those responsible face justice and criminal prosecution. However, while British police have claimed that 58 persons and 19 corporations and organisations are under investigation, prosecutions — including for corporate manslaughter and fraud — will take years due to the complexity and need to study the inquiry’s report.
“I can’t imagine the impact of such a lengthy police investigation on the bereaved and survivors, but we only have one chance to get it right,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy stated.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokeswoman stated on Tuesday that the government was determined to hold those involved accountable.
Refrigerator fire
An earlier assessment by the inquiry team in 2019, which focused on the events of the night, indicated that an electrical failure in a refrigerator on the fourth level caused the fire.
Flames then spread uncontrollably, owing mostly to the tower’s 2016 restoration, which included cladding — outside panels designed to improve look and increase insulation — composed of flammable aluminium composite material that served as a fuel source.
The tragic testimonies, including some who died while awaiting rescuers while following official instructions to stay put, sparked outrage and national soul-searching about building standards and the treatment of low-income communities.
The investigation, led by retired judge Martin Moore-Bick, discovered numerous flaws, including a failure to learn from previous high-rise tower fires and insufficient testing mechanisms.
Those responsible for the tower’s restoration with the combustible coating bore the brunt of the blame. The study found that architect Studio E, major contractor Rydon, and cladding subcontractor Harley all shared significant blame for the disaster.
Exova, the fire safety inspectors, were also held responsible for leaving the building “in a dangerous condition upon completion of the refurbishment.”
Kensington and Chelsea Council and the Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), which oversaw the local authority’s housing stock, were both harshly criticised.
They had showed a disregard for fire safety laws in the years preceding the incident, and the TMO, whose poor relationship with certain locals was alleged to have produced a “toxic atmosphere,” had been overly focused on cost cutting.
While the local community and volunteer groups were praised for their assistance, the council was also chastised for its tardy, confusing, and “wholly inadequate” reaction to the situation.
Celotex, Kingspan, and Arconic Architectural Products, the French affiliate of the American corporation Arconic, were also condemned for manufacturing and selling the cladding or its foam insulation. The inquiry found “systematic dishonesty” on their part.
“They engaged in deliberate and sustained strategies to manipulate the testing processes, misrepresent tested data and mislead the market,” according to the investigation. The issue of outside cladding has sparked worry throughout Europe, where comparable fires in apartment buildings have occurred, including in Valencia, Spain, in February, and in Italy in 2021.
In Britain, government records from July showed that 3,280 buildings standing 36 feet or higher still had dangerous cladding, with more than two-thirds of them yet to be repaired.
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