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Today marks the seventh anniversary of the Grenfell Tower Fire. The tragedy that took 72 lives is a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences of neglecting safety standards. As building surveyors, we have a crucial role in ensuring such a disaster never happens again. Building safety is more than a checklist—it's a moral imperative. Every decision, every inspection, and every approval must prioritise the wellbeing of the people who live and work in these structures. Since Grenfell, there has been progress, but not nearly enough. Too many buildings still fall short of basic safety requirements, and too many lives remain at risk. We are dedicated to leading the charge for higher standards and greater accountability. We advocate for comprehensive risk assessments, the use of non-combustible materials, and rigorous enforcement of safety regulations. Our mission is to create a culture where safety is embedded in every phase of the building process, from design to construction to maintenance. We want to create a future where tragedies like Grenfell are not just unthinkable but impossible. #GrenfellTower #BuildingSafety #FireSafety #Surveyors #Surveying #Horde #construction #residential #property #realestate #towerblock #landlord #tenant #council #estateagent #developer #development #news #new #anniversary #insurance #finance #socialhousing #repairs #maintenance #fire #housingmarket #propertymarket #highrisebuilding #government #election #generalelection #manifesto #housingpolicies #housing #policies #policy #safety #london #hampshire #southampton #southeastengland #southernengland

Today marks the 7th anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, a day that forever changed the landscape of building safety in the UK. As we remember the 72 lives lost, our industry must reaffirm its commitment to ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again. The Grenfell disaster was a stark reminder of the critical importance of competence, transparency, and accountability in the construction industry. It highlighted severe shortcomings in building safety, leading to the implementation of the Building Safety Act—a pivotal step towards a safer future. We must remain collectively committed to: - Upholding the highest standards of safety and quality in all projects. - Ensuring that all stakeholders, from contractors to building owners, possess the necessary competencies to fulfil their roles effectively. - Promoting continuous education and training within the industry to keep up with evolving safety standards and best practices. - Engaging in transparent communication with residents and communities to foster trust and collaboration. Let us honor the memory of those lost by taking concrete actions to enhance building safety. Together, we can build a safer, more resilient future for everyone. 💚 #Grenfell #BuildingSafety #ConstructionIndustry #NeverForget #BuildingSafetyAct #CompetenceMatters #ConstructionSafety

Key Lessons Learned from the Grenfell Tragedy: Building Safety & Accountability The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 was one of the most devastating tragedies in recent UK history. Beyond the profound human loss, it highlighted critical failures in building safety and governance. As the industry reflects on this tragedy, several important lessons have emerged that must shape the future of construction and housing: 1. Fire Safety Standards Must Be Non-Negotiable    The use of unsafe materials, such as combustible cladding, was a major factor in the rapid spread of the fire. This tragedy has emphasized the importance of enforcing strict fire safety regulations in construction, including the mandatory use of fire-resistant materials. 2. Accountability Throughout the Supply Chain     Grenfell exposed a severe lack of oversight, from design to construction. Ensuring that all parties—contractors, architects, suppliers—are held accountable for their choices and actions is essential. There must be clear lines of responsibility to prevent negligence and ensure that safety is prioritized at every stage. 3. Resident Voices Matter     One of the most tragic elements of Grenfell was that residents had raised safety concerns long before the fire, but their warnings were ignored. This underscores the need for a stronger mechanism to ensure that tenants' and residents' concerns about building safety are heard, respected, and acted upon by property managers and local authorities. 4. Stronger Building Regulations and Enforcement    The Grenfell fire has prompted significant regulatory reforms, but it also revealed how fragmented and outdated the UK's building regulation system had become. Continuous updates, stronger enforcement, and accountability frameworks are essential to prevent similar incidents in the future. 5. The Importance of Retrofitting Existing Buildings    Thousands of buildings across the UK, particularly older high-rise structures, still do not meet modern fire safety standards. Retrofitting these buildings with safer materials, better alarm systems, and fire escapes is critical to ensuring the safety of residents. The Grenfell tragedy is a stark reminder of the consequences of overlooking safety in the pursuit of cost-cutting. As we move forward, these lessons must guide not only policymakers but also the construction industry, developers, and regulators. What steps do you believe are the most urgent to ensure such a tragedy never happens again? #GrenfellLessons #BuildingSafety #FireSafety #ConstructionRegulations #AccountabilityInConstruction #HousingReform #TenantRights

What I have found alarming about the defeat of compartmentation within the building, has been to discover the fire door smoke test procedures are conducted with the threshold gap taped up. Secondly the standard applying to timber door sets allows for a 3mm gap at the threshold to remain. Taping up the threshold means nothing when that fire door is exposed to smoke in an apartment block, and could lead to the often lethal and mostly toxic products of combustion entering an area, designed and deemed to be safe. The 3mm gap allowance has been independently proven to allow a smoke leakage rate of up to 10.5m3/h/m, more than three times the permitted allowance of 3m3/h/m in the current Building Regulations, which state that any new flat entrance door must be smoke sealed to a standard that passes the test as described. I believe the test to be invalid and the test certificates meaningless. Your views?

The final Grenfell Inquiry report has been released. It suggests the Grenfell fire was the result of systemic failures in the private and public sectors and outlines key reforms for construction and building safety. Learn what these changes might mean for industry professionals. https://lnkd.in/dB2hM9xc #grenfellreport #buildingsafety #buildingsafetyact

The government has set out tough new targets to fix unsafe buildings in #England as part of a new Remediation Acceleration Plan. The plan will introduce new measures to get buildings fixed quicker, ensure rogue freeholders are held to account, and put the end in sight for affected residents. https://ow.ly/gsmB50Uta8f #cladding #Grenfell #BuildingSafetyAct

🔍 Are We Already Too Late on Cladding Remediation? What More Can Be Done? 🔥 Over the past 30 years, cladding-related fires in the UK have caused devastation, from the Knowsley Heights fire in 1991 to the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. The timeline below highlights the recurring pattern of cladding fires, many of which have led to significant loss of life, such as the Lakanal House fire in 2009, and more recent incidents like the Cube fire in Bolton (2019) and Fairmont Avenue in 2021. Despite the introduction of the Building Safety Act and government remediation efforts following Grenfell, questions remain: Are we already too late in addressing these issues comprehensively? Can we catch up with the pace of remediation before more lives are lost? What more can be done to speed up the process and ensure comprehensive safety for all? While progress has been made in some areas, such as the installation of non-combustible cladding in newly built buildings, there are still thousands of homes waiting for proper remediation. The question now is whether the current approach is fast enough, or if more drastic steps need to be taken to avoid further tragedies. It's time for us to consider: how can we accelerate the remediation process? What actions can the industry and government take to ensure that no more lives are risked due to cladding failures? #BuildingSafety #CladdingCrisis #FireSafety #Grenfell #PublicSafety #FirePrevention

The Guardian The Grenfell Inquiry’s final report: what to look out for 30 August 2024 The Grenfell Inquiry will present its conclusions on Wednesday more than seven years after the fire. Here’s a summary of the evidence the inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick has had to unpick It has been seven years, one month and 27 days since the UK construction industry was changed forever by the fire at Grenfell Tower. That tragedy, which claimed the lives of 72 people, was quickly recognised at the time as a watershed in how we design and construct tall buildings. Since then, a new building safety regulator has been created, new rules rolled out to reduce the risk posed by fires, and the way the industry operates has been irreversibly changed. But we still do not know the definitive answer to the question: how did 3,000sq m of highly combustible cladding panels end up installed on a 24-storey residential tower? ( More: https://lnkd.in/d4QE_xj3 and https://lnkd.in/d4N_NYdd )

Was your home built before 1980? Hidden dangers could lurk beneath the surface. Asbestos was commonly used in building materials before the 1980s. Protect your family’s health – schedule a pre-renovation test with Keystone Environmental Services before you start your next project. #safetyfirst #environmentalexperts #asbestos #renovation #asbestosawareness #construction #healthhazards #keystone #keystoneenvironmental #binghamton

The government has set out tough new targets to fix unsafe buildings in #England as part of a new Remediation Acceleration Plan. The plan will introduce new measures to get buildings fixed quicker, ensure rogue freeholders are held to account, and put the end in sight for affected residents. https://ow.ly/BwX950Uta8b #cladding #Grenfell #BuildingSafetyAct