What Lessons Should Be Learned From The Grenfell Fire? |
Posted: January 18, 2019 |
The 2017 fire at Grenfell Towers in London was one of the worst tragedy's in recent memories, with the inferno claiming in excess of 70 innocent lives. As the public's attention turned from the tragedy of the incident to an examination of culpability, however, it was revealed that the loss of life was entirely preventable. As public servants, the UK government, the fire service and the police continue their examination of the blaze - and examine potential responsibility for the tragedy, many are looking to learn the lessons from the Grenfell Towers fire. In order to understand why the fire was so devestating, investigators spent considerable time looking at how it was able to spread so quickly. Although the fire started on the fourth floor of the building, within minutes it has spread to the rest of the tower, trapping many residents inside. Subsequent investigations have revealed that the cladding used on the building's exterior was a major contributor to the spread, leading to allegations of cost-cutting ahead of safety once it was revealed the local council rejected non-flammable boards during a refurbishment. Had the council taken the more expensive option of installing non-flammable aluminium panels, fire safety experts agree that countless lives would have been saved. This revelation has understandably led to controversy in the national press, with many suggesting that the council are culpable for the deaths of residents. Since then, an analysis of other residential blocks and tall buildings in England has revealed that 300 other buildings have been built or refurbished using the same time of cladding that was on the Grenfell Towers. As you would expect, many have called for councils across England to learn the lessons of Grenfell and replace these panels, as well as looking at overall fire safety in tall buildings across the country.
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