NEWS


’common feature’, before a fire was started underneath. Temperatures inside the vent ‘indicated it was providing an almost instantaneous route for fire directly into the void’ between the cladding and wall, ‘long before the time it would take fire to break through the outside cladding panels’. The ABI pointed out that implications include that fire safety (in particular in high rises) often relies ‘upon assumptions about how long it will take fire to penetrate certain areas of the building’, and that the presence of fittings such as vents potentially make ‘a big difference to how materials perform and how a fire will spread’, and therefore this ‘needs to be realistically modelled in testing’. Further tests examined the


‘real-life performance of cavity barriers’ and the ‘differences made by materials being unrealistically strengthened during the testing process’, and were detailed in the full report. The ABI added that it had provided the research ‘in full’ to Dame Judith’s review. Huw Evans, director general


of the ABI, stated: ‘Dame Judith Hackitt’s important work post- Grenfell has already recognised the building control system is broken. This latest research is yet more evidence that fundamental reform is needed to keep our homes and commercial premises safe from fire. It is a matter of urgency that we create the right testing regime that properly replicates real world conditions and keeps pace with building innovation and modern design.’ Jonathan O’Neill, managing


director of the FPA, commented: ‘The results of this important research confirm long-held concerns by many in the fire sector that the current cladding test standard requires urgent review to ensure that systems that pass are reflective of the systems that are installed and of the risks to which they are exposed.


‘We urge BSI (British Standards Institution) to urgently reconvene the group responsible for this standard to consider the results of this research and to make changes to the standard as required.’


NFCC responds The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) later ‘welcomed dialogue generated’ by the report, offering its own advice to building owners ‘who need help assessing fire risks or putting appropriate safety measures in place’, or choosing competent fire risk assessors or consultants. Roy Wilsher, chair of the NFCC,


stated: ‘It is encouraging to see the insurance industry contributing to the active discussions currently taking place about fire safety. Any research with ideas on how to improve fire safety in the built environment is to be encouraged. We believe that BS 8414 is a robust test; it is important to note that there has been no evidence to date that the cladding system installed on Grenfell Tower ever underwent this test. ‘It is for this reason that NFCC fully supports Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review, so that we can understand how an untested system ended up on a building in the first place. Through NFCC’s Protection and Business Safety Committee, we have worked hard to ensure that the Independent Review – and other relevant reviews – have benefited from the insight, expertise and challenge of the widest possible spread of fire and rescue service experts. ‘NFCC has had input into all six of Dame Judith’s working groups and continues to be involved in the ongoing work being carried out by the BSI in relation to fire safety standards, ensuring fire and rescue service views are heard. The fire at Grenfell Tower was a tragedy which should never happen again.


'I am pleased to see the current


level of open engagement and discussion with those across both industry and Government about how to improve fire safety, and would like to see this continue and increase.’ Mark Hardingham, chair of the


NFCC’s protection and business safety committee, added: ‘There are a range of ways that testing arrangements might better reflect the built environment. However, we also recognise that any test needs to be repeatable to have meaningful validity. This can be a difficult balance to achieve, as it can be challenging to control for variables such as the quality of work, as well as how buildings are maintained over their lifetime.’ He added: ‘The installation and maintenance of cladding and other building systems is paramount to maintain safety. Those working on buildings – particularly high risk and complex buildings – need to be competent to do so, to ensure the tests are relevant to the finished product. 'We shouldn’t be in a position


where the testing regime must build in an assumption that buildings will not be built to the correct standard. NFCC welcomes the indication provided by Dame Judith that her recommendations are likely to include a strong focus on raising competency across the board.’ In addition, the NFCC also


noted that it encourages people ‘not to keep domestic appliances on escape routes’, and that they should register appliances online ‘so they can be the first to know about appliance safety issues or recalls’.


It added that as the ABI/FPA


report ‘includes the size of fire loadings found in households due to an increased use of plastics in our homes’, the increased use of plastics in white goods construction and products ‘must be considered in the overall construction and safety of products’


www.frmjournal.com JUNE 2018 9


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