May 2018 - Road Construction
Almost a year after 71 residents died in the Grenfell Tower fire, the only people to have faced prosecution as a direct consequence of the tragedy are a handful of petty criminals caught trying to exploit the goodwill of the community. Those responsible for the chain of events that caused the fire in the first place have yet to face the music.
However, we now know the vital links in that chain of events: specification of poor quality or inappropriate materials, shoddy installation of cladding and insulation, and an inadequate system of building regulation.
We know that the original building had only one way in and one way out and we know that sprinklers weren’t fitted – because sprinklers weren’t required by law. That needs to change.
Fire tests have now been exposed as pathetically inadequate. That needs to change, too. And quickly – because people are still living and working in buildings that are just as dangerous as Grenfell Tower was this time last year.
David Taylor
Editor
Feature