Industry Viewfinder: Revisiting Fire Safety


“What do you think are the main reasons these risks remain present?” g Large Risk g Small Risk g Unsure/Don’t Know


the most popular, chosen by 49% of our respondents, with trusted brands (48%), and durability (46%) just behind this. Ten, in descending order, were installation guides (37%), recommendations (33%), reliability (31%), detailed information (28%), remote access (21%), manufacturer-led installers (20%), high costs (16%) and conversely low costs (15%). Hoping to find out whether the use of such products was on the rise, we


asked our respondents whether they have specified ‘better’ products post- Grenfell, and whether they believe the Building Safety Act is leading to ‘better’ products being specified across the country. Fortunately, most (64%) of our respondents reported that they have specified more of these products post- Grenfell, and the vast majority (78%) believe ‘better’ products are being installed more widely across the industry as a result of the Act.


BARRIERS TO PROGRESS As indicated above, if using ‘better’ products is not a given across the industry – and their increased performance is well-understood – there must be barriers to their adoption for housing professionals, as well as a number of other reasons behind the continuation of fire risk. When asked what our respondents believed to be the main reasons that


fire risks remain present in their housing stock, the results followed last year’s relatively closely – with two notable exceptions – but the gap between most and least popular options was fairly close, indicating no clear consensus. Costs, for example – which lead last year’s most significant reasons –


fell to the fiſth most popular this year (though still chosen by 47%), and ‘untrustworthy manufacturers,’ which last year was the least popular significant reasons – chosen by 15% – was up to the third most popular this year (at 51%), indicating a knock in confidence in some manufacturers post-Inquiry. Te latter theme of certain manufacturers – or their products in this case


– being inferior was continued among the remaining most popular options here chosen, with the most popular by a stretch being flammable products (67%), followed by cheap products (53%). Tere were of course many other barriers listed however, all descending


closely from uniformed tenants (50%), to poorly maintained stock (47%), poor trades workers (46%), landlord malpractice (46%), tenants (46%), malicious


tenants (44%), lack of Government support (43%), poor legislation (42%), lack of council funding (41%), barriers to reporting (39%) and a lack of sprinklers (39%). A further reason for the continuation of fire risk indicated by our data was


shown in the confusion around who is responsible for rental accommodation fire safety. When asked who they believed the main onus to be on here, closely following the previous year, landlords led at (50%; -1% YOY), followed by building owners at (32%; -8% YOY). Changing things up slightly, the next most popular option this year was tenants at (8%; +6% YOY), then local councils at (2%; -3% YOY), with builders chosen by none of our respondents this year (-2% YOY). Tough improved slightly this year, a further potential cause for the


continued fire risk above has been shown in our readers’ understanding of the relevant regulations. When asked how well they would say they understand fire safety regulations this year, just 16% reported that they completely understand fire safety regulations (-1% YOY), with (63%; +9% YOY) mainly understanding them, one in five (20%; -4% YOY) only partially understanding them, no one slightly understanding them (-5% YOY) and 1% not understanding them at all (+1% YOY).


Thankfully, this year – perhaps due to legislation introduced post-Grenfell, or in response to awareness of the tragedy itself – fire risk was notably reduced among our respondents


CONCLUDING SUMMARY Most fire-related deaths are entirely preventable, and with the correct specifications, housing professionals can minimise any risks for their tenants. Despite disaster aſter disaster however, house fires still occur, and


risk remains.


34 | HMMAugust/September 2022 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


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