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London Fire Brigade chiefs are calling for more to be done to prevent fires on construction sites.
Ever since the Grenfell Tower tragedy claimed the lives of 71 people, fire safety has never been far from the headlines. Worryingly, the construction sector has failed to raise standards – according to London’s Fire Brigade (LFB) chiefs.
The Fire Brigade has made a number of suggestions to an independent inquiry being led by former HSE head Judith Hackitt looking into fire safety. Top of their list of concerns is what they see as an insufficient level of skills when it comes to building and maintaining buildings to prevent fire-related tragedies.
Fire chiefs are concerned that opportunities to reduce the risk of fire are being missed at every stage of the building lifecycle. Their report warns that a “general lack of competence” means that dangerous decisions are being taken, including:
According to their submission, architects and builders are creating future problems for their tenants from the outset of a construction project. The fact that the Fire Brigade has no involvement at the design stage of a project means that problems are not identified until construction has been completed. Worse still, some may never be exposed until there is a serious fire.
To help tackle these issues and improve site safety, the LFB’s report makes a series of recommendations, including:
Again, the Fire Brigade believe that by raising overall skill levels, fire safety will improve exponentially.
The LFB submission is just one part of Dame Judith Hackitt’s review and will be considered alongside expert advice from many other sources. It will take some time for the results of the consultation to be collated and analysed, and longer still until we see any of these suggestions being incorporated into industry standards or the law.
The Grenfell Tower tragedy has brought a long-running problem to light – at the cost of 71 lives. Hopefully, Hackitt’s inquiry will identify improvements that can be implemented quickly – and industry comes together to prevent a similar event happening again in the UK.
For more help and advice on raising fire safety standards on your construction sites, please get in touch.