Phase 2 of the Grenfell inquiry has just been published, delivering a damning verdict that supports all the claims made by the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. The tragedy, which claimed 72 lives in 2017, was a wake-up call for the nation, revealing deep flaws in building safety regulations, corporate accountability, and government oversight. Now, after six years of investigations, the final report lays bare the failures that led to one of the most devastating residential fires in recent history.

The report concluded that the coalition and Conservative governments “ignored, delayed and disregarded” the safety in construction practices. The dishonesty of manufacturers was identified as a key reason for the building being ridden in combustible materials, one of whom has also been reported to have “deliberately concealed” the fire risks of the cladding. The inquiry has found that almost every company involved in the refurbishment in 2016 had some level of incompetence and was at fault. One of the key findings of the report was that the American company Arconic was the “largest contributor” to the fire as they hid the true extent of the fire hazards.

Both the governments and the local council missed opportunities to progress and improve the quality of the materials used in the building. The council’s lack of concern for building safety, combined with various Conservative governments’ failures to acknowledge and act on safety concerns, means that both the government and the local council are significantly at fault for the Grenfell fire.

Another critical issue highlighted was the lack of preparedness of the fire services. The Lakanal House fire in 2009, where six people dies, should have alerted fire services to the added complexities fighting fires in high-rise building. After the 2009 fire, the fire services failed to recognise the need for further training and thorough examinations of buildings to plan better strategy for such incidents. 

The recommendations made in the inquiry to prepare for in future include:

  • Building regulations to be managed by a single independent body 
  • Fire safety strategy to be submitted with any application to construct or refurbish any higher risk building
  • Better and more transparent fire safety testing of materials and designs
  • Improved fire risk training

While the inquiry has validated the claims and complaints of the victims, it also concluded that the tragedy was the result of man-made errors and was ultimately preventable.