Industry responds to the final Grenfell inquiry report

[edit] CIOB

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has today reacted to the Grenfell Tower inquiry report.

Caroline Gumble, chief executive officer at CIOB, said: “We very much welcome the publication of the final report into the Grenfell Tower fire and will be reading it in detail to understand the implications for the construction sector in the UK.

"Improving the safety of buildings must be a priority. Although some progress has been made with the introduction of the Building Safety Act and changes to the Fire Safety Act, there is still much to do.

"We are committed to working with others across the industry to follow up on the recommendations made in the report. Every step possible must be taken to ensure such a tragedy, which has impacted the lives of so many people, can never happen again.”

[edit] LABC

LABC response to Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report

'Our first thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the bereaved families and survivors who must be finding this a particularly difficult and distressing time.

We are pleased to see such a comprehensive review of the tragedy at Grenfell Tower. The Inquiry’s final report and recommendations will shape the industry for decades to come.

The Inquiry has had significant statutory powers which have enabled it to see things others could not see. Following our own internal investigations into historic activities within LABC, we note that the conclusions reached by the inquiry entirely coincide with our own.

LABC cooperated fully with the Inquiry throughout, providing detailed evidence and testimony. We can see there are justified criticisms about some of our actions at the time. LABC admitted errors at the very first opportunity and apologised immediately and repeatedly. Again, we wholeheartedly acknowledge and apologise for any areas where LABC has failed in the past.

LABC today is not the same organisation as it was. Even before the Inquiry started, we embarked on a period of radical change as an organisation. We take the Inquiry’s conclusions extremely seriously and will continue the process of reform within LABC itself, and the promotion of new standards, the building safety regime and the registration of the building control profession.

We are completely committed to playing our part in educating, building and validating the competence and standards of the building control sector so that we can help deliver safe and decent homes and buildings for all.

[edit] ECA

Leading electrotechnical and engineering services body ECA has responded to the Grenfell Tower final report by welcoming changes to the Building Regulations and standards of competence in the built environment.

Close examination of the factors that contributed to the tragic Grenfell Tower fire has reinforced the importance of competence as a key factor in the safety of electrical and other installations – and ultimately, the safety of those living in the buildings ECA Members help to create.

ECA and the Fire and Security Association (FSA) made a number of influential representations to the initial Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, and several subsequent reports, having listened closely to industry concerns over competence and safety.

ECA Chief Operating Officer Andrew Eldred said:

“Today’s report once again shines a spotlight on the imperative for improved standards of competence in the built environment.

“Thanks to stronger collaboration across the electrical industry in recent years, we undoubtedly find ourselves better placed to meet these higher standards than most other installer sectors, even if there is more still that needs to be done.

“Through ECA’s active participation in the Construction Leadership Council, Working Group 2 and the British Standards Institute, we are also doing all we can to assist improvements across the entire built environment – including pointing to good practice examples in the training, assessment and certification arrangements which the electrical industry already has in place.”

ECA Director of Technical and HS&E Mike Smith said:

“We welcome changes made to the Building Regulations, particularly duties to employ competent organisations and individuals, ensure collaboration within design and construction teams, mandate reporting of compliance and safety issues, and professionalise consent and approvals processes.

“Enforcement of the rules has historically been a weak spot. Which is why we strongly support the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator, to oversee changes and deploy a strict regime for higher risk buildings that continues through the life of the building.”

[edit] CIAT

The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) welcomes the publication today (4 September) of the Final Report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

This was a human tragedy, and we must never forget those affected by the heartbreaking events which took place at Grenfell Tower on the night of 14 June 2017, especially the family and friends of the 72 people who lost their lives. CIAT extends its deepest sympathies to all the victims of the fire.

The Phase 2 report has identified serious failings in many areas that contributed to this tragedy. CIAT is examining the report in detail to respond to the challenges highlighted and is committed to making and supporting any changes that are necessary, individually and collectively, to improve the performance and safety of buildings for all.

CIAT, alongside other professional bodies in the built environment sector, is already taking steps to strengthen standards of education, training and professional practice. CIAT led the review of the UK Quality Assurance Agency Subject Benchmark Statement (2022) for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Architectural Technology and this included an increased and greater emphasis on building performance, regulation and safety. Following this publication, CIAT reviewed its Professional Standards Framework for Chartered Architectural Technologists to ensure these changes, alongside those arising from the Building Safety Act and the amended building regulations, were reflected. More recently, CIAT implemented a register of competent professionals to undertake the role of Principal Designer (Building Regulations) for both higher risk and non-higher risk buildings.

CIAT will carefully consider the recommendations of this final report, and where appropriate, will implement changes to improve professional practice to ensure that the UK's built environment can be safe and secure for every community.

[edit] CIC

The publication of the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is a long-awaited milestone in the response to the tragic loss of 72 lives in June 2017. It is another difficult and traumatic moment for the bereaved, the survivors and relatives of the Grenfell Tower victims and CIC recognises once again all that they have suffered and we extend our sympathy once more to all the victims.

Sir Martin Moore Bick has made many recommendations for further action in the report, based on a careful analysis of the evidence presented to the Inquiry by hundreds of witnesses and in hundreds of thousands of documents. CIC and its member organisations are now reviewing the full report and its recommendations and carefully considering the further actions that we will need to take.

Whilst much work has already been done through the independent review of building regulations and fire safety undertaken by Dame Judith Hackitt and the consequent programme of regulatory reform that has been introduced and which the industry is working hard to implement, Sir Martin has clearly identified several further matters that require attention and CIC will be working with its members, the wider industry and government to develop appropriate responses to those matters, ensuring that they are given the critical and expedient attention that they demand.

It will take time to give the thought and consideration that the report requires and for the action that is needed to address the various recommendations Sir Martin has brought forward. It is essential that government and the construction sector recognise the findings he has reported and that we learn the lessons and continue to respond to create an industry and a culture where safety, competence and compliance with the law is an absolute priority. Only then will public trust in the sector be restored.

CIC believes that every construction professional should fully familiarise themselves with the report and its recommendations, and we will work closely with our members to facilitate this process as we develop an appropriate detailed response to the report.

[edit] CLC

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has welcomed publication today of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report. The Inquiry’s findings are a serious and comprehensive reflection of the worst of UK construction’s culture and practices; which led to a tragedy that should and could have been avoided. We fully respect those findings and offer our sympathies and condolences to the families and wider Grenfell community.

The Inquiry has also put forward a number of recommendations for both our industry and Government, to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated. The CLC, as the representative body for the entire UK construction industry, will now study these recommendations and engage with industry and the Government as to how they can be taken forward through our ongoing work on building safety.

Over the past seven years the CLC and its many members have made building safety one of our highest priorities, actively working to learn from the failures at Grenfell and reform our culture, behaviours and competence. Much of that work is summarised in a recent CLC report here. Whilst progress has been made, we know that more work can and should be done to fulfil the CLC’s ambition of establishing an industry that can be trusted to deliver safe and high quality buildings for those who live and work in them. We remain fully committed to this goal.