Grenfell Tower industry response group

On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower, a block of flats in North Kensington, London. The fire started shortly before 1 am and engulfed the building within 15 minutes. 71 people were eventually confirmed dead, along with one stillborn baby.

On 26 June 2017, in a statement to the House of Commons, Sajid Javid, Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) announced the creation of an independent expert advisory panel (IEAP) to advise the government on the fire.

On 10 July 2017, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed that an industry response group (IRG) will be formed to help ensure the construction industry meets the challenges brought about by the Grenfell Tower fire.

At a meeting with government, industry representatives agreed that the group will help coordinate the construction industry’s response to implementing recommendations from the IEAP and government.

The group will include representatives from:

• Build UK.
• Construction Industry Council.
• Construction Products Association.
• National Housing Federation
• Building Owners
• London Fire Brigade

The group will:

• Provide advice on possible solutions to ensure homes, offices and public buildings are safe.
• Provide advice on better ways of building and the latest methods of construction, and ensure access to the necessary technical expertise when required.
• Help mobilise the UK industry if any major programmes of construction work is needed, acting as a focal point for government-industry communications.
• Advise government on the relevant sub-sectors of the industry, their expertise and capacity to deliver work at pace.

The IRG issued a statement saying; “We understand how concerned people are about the safety of buildings and we would like to reassure the public that the UK construction industry is working with urgency to respond to advice published by the government. This IRG will demonstrate leadership and, acting as a focal point, provide a collective response to government and other stakeholders.”

Julia Evans, Chief Executive at BSRIA, said; “BSRIA thinks this is a very positive step and is supportive of the creation of the IRG and we urge our members and the rest of industry to support the group. In the wake of these tragic events, industry needs to come together to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. As an industry we need to ensure that buildings are safe, sustainable and provide an environment to allow people that inhabit them to thrive”.

On 13 July 2017, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) announced they would establish a working group, operating in conjunction with CIC, of which CIAT is a full member. CIAT also agreed to contribute some financial support to CIC to enable the appointment of a project manager to lead on this work. See Grenfell Tower working group for more information.

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