Legal Action Following the Grenfell Tragedy

Last month, cases were filed in the High Court against several companies and organisations involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower. The defendants include major building product suppliers such as Celotex, Kingspan, and Arconic, all of whom are being scrutinised for their role in the tragic fire on 14 June 2017.

A New Building Products Regulator Announced

To prevent the catalogue of errors and bad practices revealed by the Grenfell Inquiry from ever happening again, the Government has announced plans to establish a new building products regulator. This move is a step in the right direction for ensuring accountability within the construction industry.

The Problem With the Current Testing Regime

For too long, product manufacturers have been able to exploit loopholes in the building regulations due to a lax testing regime. When combined with inadequate building control, these shortcomings have directly contributed to major safety failures, as exposed by the Grenfell Inquiry.

Enforcement Powers for the Regulator

The new regulator will operate within the Office for Product Safety and Standards, with enforcement powers that include the ability to conduct independent product testing where necessary. Businesses will be required to ensure that all products meet stringent safety standards before being sold.

Implementing Dame Judith Hackitt’s Recommendations

Dame Judith Hackitt’s post-Grenfell review called for construction products to be properly tested, certified, labelled, and marketed. These are basic expectations for any industry dealing with public safety, yet the inquiry has highlighted alarming lapses in compliance.

A Call for Meaningful Change in Construction

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has emphasised that dishonest practices by some manufacturers must be eliminated. The findings of the Grenfell Inquiry have been shocking, and the public deserves better from the construction industry. The new regulator must enforce the necessary changes to ensure safety is never compromised again.