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Grenfell Inquiry will look at whether Lakanal House recommendations were acted on
The Grenfell Inquiry will consider whether the government and the London Fire Brigade acted on the recommendations of the Lakanal House coroner.
The inquiry has published a list of 13 issues it is looking into, including whether Grenfell Tower complied with building regulations, any changes made to the building over the years and why failures occurred in the building.
The team will also focus on whether residents were able to report their concerns about fire safety and what response they got.
It will look at what recommendations – including from inquiries, inquests and experts – were relevant to the risk of fire at Grenfell Tower and whether “appropriate steps” were taken by central and local government to act upon these recommendations.
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The list adds: “Specifically, what steps were taken by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the London Fire Brigade or any other body to implement the recommendations of the coroner following the Lakanal House inquest?”
In 2013, four years after the Lakanal House fire killed six people, the coroner made a number of recommendations including encouraging housing providers to retrofit sprinklers in tower blocks and for the government to carry out a review of fire safety guidance that accompanies building regulations. This review had not been carried out by the time of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The team will also look at tower block fires in other countries and the construction of the buildings affected.
The response of the emergency services on the night of the fire will also be looked at, as will how the landlord (Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation), the government and the local council responded immediately after the fire.
Never Again campaign
Inside Housing has launched a campaign to improve fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire
Never Again: campaign asks
Inside Housing is calling for immediate action to implement the learning from the Lakanal House fire, and a commitment to act – without delay – on learning from the Grenfell Tower tragedy as it becomes available.
LANDLORDS
- Take immediate action to check cladding and external panels on tower blocks and take prompt, appropriate action to remedy any problems
- Update risk assessments using an appropriate, qualified expert.
- Commit to renewing assessments annually and after major repair or cladding work is carried out
- Review and update evacuation policies and ‘stay put’ advice in light of risk assessments, and communicate clearly to residents
GOVERNMENT
- Provide urgent advice on the installation and upkeep of external insulation
- Update and clarify building regulations immediately – with a commitment to update if additional learning emerges at a later date from the Grenfell inquiry
- Fund the retrofitting of sprinkler systems in all tower blocks across the UK (except where there are specific structural reasons not to do so)
We will submit evidence from our research to the Grenfell public inquiry.
The inquiry should look at why opportunities to implement learning that could have prevented the fire were missed, in order to ensure similar opportunities are acted on in the future.
