Six months after the deadly Grenfell Tower fire that claimed 71 lives in London, the first phase of an independent inquiry initiated by the British government in August has determined that the current regulatory system for fire safety in high-rise and complex buildings is “not fit for purpose.” Published late on Monday, the released findings are part of an interim report, with a final report due to be released by spring 2018. (A separate Grenfell Fire Inquiry is also underway.)
The interim report outlines key causes for the current regulatory systems’ failure, including unclear and complex current regulations and guidance; inadequate means of assessing and ensuring the competency of key people throughout the system; unclear and inadequate routes for residents to escalate concerns; and an unclear system of product testing, marketing, and quality assurance. The report also previews key recommendations that will be included in the final report and calls for a meeting of stakeholders in early 2018 to discuss next steps.
In light of the report’s findings, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) released a statement calling for more actionable results to improve the immediate safety of high-rise residential buildings.
“It is disappointing that whilst the report recognizes the complexity and lack of clarity in the current building regulations guidance, it shies away from introducing immediate and effective changes to the current fire safety guidance,” RIBA writes. “The RIBA would like to see an immediate prohibition on the use any combustible materials in the external wall construction of high-rise buildings; a greater role for sprinklers as an active life safety measure in residential buildings; [and] requirements for at least two staircases, offering alternative means of escape in high-rise residential buildings.”
However, as inquiry head Judith Hackitt asserts in the report, "a systemic review of the regulations by a nonexpert in construction was never going to recommend detailed changes to the technical requirements—this is beyond my area of competence. ... My goal is to ensure that we create, within a much more robust overall system, a process that ensures there is effective oversight of materials, people and installation.”
Read the full interim report here.