Image courtesy of the London Fire Brigade Twitter account
The Construction Products Association (CPA) has welcomed the establishment of an independent review of building safety and regulations in high-rise residential buildings in the wake of the Grenfell disaster.
The announcement of the independent review was made last week by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
Dame Judith Hackitt, chair of EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has been appointed to head up the review which will look at current building regulations and fire safety with a focus on high-rise residential buildings, reporting jointly to communities secretary Sajid Javid and home secretary Amber Rudd.
Dr Diana Montgomery, chief executive of the CPA, said: “Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy it is imperative all is done to provide reassurance and ensure the safety of residents within high-rise buildings.
“Her experience as chair at EEF and previously chair at the Health and Safety Executive, demonstrate Dame Judith is the correct person to lead this response. The CPA looks forward to doing what we can to support these efforts.”
The DCLG said the inferno “raised serious questions” about fire safety, centred on the use of flammable cladding in tower blocks.
Experts have previously flagged concerns that building regulations are unclear on the use of combustible cladding, which paved the way to their use by contractors.
Among the issues set to be examined are the regulations relating to fire safety in the construction, design and management of buildings.
Compliance and enforcement issues will also be looked at, as well as international regulation and experience in the area, it was announced.
Dame Judith will aim to publish a final report by spring 2018 and an interim report before the close of the year. The scope of the probe is to be set by this summer, the government said, after the terms of reference for the Grenfell Tower public inquiry are established.
Shadow housing minister John Healey said: “The long-awaited review of buildings regulations and fire safety is welcome but long overdue, as Ministers promised this four years ago after the last fatal high-rise fires.
“The government must also now expand the testing programme, publish results in full so that residents and landlords know whether or not their buildings are safe and stand by their earlier promise to help fund the costs of any necessary work.”
