Jon wrote:
I looked at the documents submitted for the planning application for the refurb of GT. There were whole sections on sustainability, bio diversity and climate change!! I did not see fire safety mentioned.
There was a large section on detailing the fire safety aspects, but you have hit on part of the problem;
Approved Document B (ADB) of the Building Regulations details fire safety general safety requirements for buildings, and gives numerous examples of how those standards can be achieved. It has not been revised or updated in 11 years.
In that time there's been an explosion of building materials aimed at insulating buildings. Insulation requirements are far stricter now to cut down on energy use, and many products are on the market that offer a slim profile/high U value (insulation warmth score), along with being easily to recycle, containing limited nasty chemicals and offer good value for money.
Simultaneously, there's been a demand for cladding systems to upgrade concrete structures like Grenfell where the expose slab walling systems - and their ageing leaking joints - can be repaired by such systems.
ADB simply hasn't kept up with changes. The Australian version of this document is reviewed annually - Ours is more than a decade old
Then there's the huge range of confusing standards that claim a product is 'fire safe'.
I am a fire safety consultant and once found a hotel in the west end where they had fitted carpet to the walls of the corridors to the underside of the dado rail.
Upon my request, the manager proudly showed some certification showing the carpet was suitable for wall fixing. But his suppliers had lied. It was OK for floor use but was not suitable for a wall lining.
This happens quite a lot where a product is certificated for one use, and then applied in another way that is not satisfactory. This may be what happened at Grenfell
Lastly, I have been away for a few months working abroad where there was no reliable power, let alone internet. Its good to be back here and online again, including on this site!. I came back to the UK just prior to Grenfell and actually passed it on the coach on the way to work when it was still alight (about 5.30 am). It was shocking beyond belief as that sort of fire spread is impossible - or was until the second I saw it. I knew Grenfell Tower well as it was on my old fire station patch. So very sad