London’s Grenfell Tower fire outbreak could have been averted with just £5,000
London’s Grenfell Tower fire outbreak could have been averted with just £5,000
-Odunayo Ajani
London’s Grenfell Tower fire outbreak could have been averted with just £5,000
According to investigations recently carried out by fireproof expert, London’s Grenfell Tower fire outbreak could have been averted with just £5,000
A fire resistant panel, Reynobond, sells for £24 per square metre, with a £2 increase on the standard version. Then after a rough calculation based on the panelling being used on 2,000 square metres of the tower block, it definitely indicates that an additional £5,000, if made available would have averted Grenfell’s fire outbreak.
According to a report gathered from The Times, it was revealed that the panels used in the refurbishment, known as Reynobond, were the cheapest of three versions and allegedly the only one that is not fire–resistant.
After a £8.6 million refurbishment of the exterior of Grenfell Tower last year, which included the instalment of aluminium panels and new windows, Sussex firm Rydon, said its work “met all required building control, fire regulation, and health and safety standards”.
Cladding is often used to improve energy efficiency and it is thought there could be up to 30,000 buildings in the UK fitted with similar cladding to that used on Grenfell Tower.
The Grenfell, 24-storey Tower was said to have been cladded with foam boards coated in zinc rainproof sheets which were part of the refurbishment.
A US-based Reynobond salesman also told The Times in a report that, this version of cladding was banned on buildings taller than 40 feet in America. The Grenfell Tower block is almost six times that height.
The Reynobond salesman further said: “It’s because of the fire and smoke spread. The FR [variant] is fire resistant. The PE [polyethylene is just plastic.”
The Technical Director of the Fire Protection Association, Dr Glockling, said his company had repeatedly campaigned for regulations to be changed and that the Government must accept some responsibility for the catastrophe. Glocking said the fire outbreak is rare and they are quite surprised at the huge loss of life. Further speaking at Manchester University meeting, Dr Glocking said.
“We have lobbied the Government for a change in fire safety building regulations. Our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. They have told us that the regulations work as no one has died. But not anymore. Now is the time to change.”
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