黑洞社区

The UK construction industry is in danger of failing to learn from the Grenfell Tower disaster and a similar tragedy could happen at any time, according to RIBA ex-president Jane Duncan.

Speaking at a building regulations and fire safety conference hosted by 黑洞社区 last week Duncan (pictured) 鈥� who was RIBA president at the time of the Grenfell fire in which 72 people died 鈥� said she was 鈥渘ot convinced鈥� that the findings and recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt鈥檚 review would prevent a repeat of the disaster in west London nearly a year ago.

While the Hackitt review, due out at the end of this month, 鈥渃ould come up with some very good suggestions鈥� Duncan said she didn鈥檛 think the industry was in any position to say there will never be another Grenfell.

鈥淚 have heard many people say it will never happen again, from government ministers downwards, and I鈥檓 sorry, it can happen,鈥� she added.

Noting her unhappiness that RIBA hadn鈥檛 been asked to attend Hackitt鈥檚 working groups on building regulations, Duncan said architects were at the frontline of the regulations 鈥渁nd [Hackitt] needed to hear our voices鈥�.

And while she welcomed Hackitt鈥檚 interim report, published at the end of last year, Duncan said everyone in the industry needed to take responsibility for their part in a building鈥檚 construction, from designer to contractor. 鈥淲e have to tell our clients 鈥楴o, we鈥檙e not going to use that material on that building.鈥� And 鈥楴o, we鈥檙e not going to manage with one staircase. And 鈥楴o, we鈥檙e not going to deal with a building that鈥檚 complex but is not properly managed鈥�.鈥�

Highlighting the potential loss of public trust in the sector following the Grenfell fire, Duncan said the industry needed to 鈥渂ail out of the race towards ever-cheaper construction鈥�. What some called 鈥榲alue-engineering鈥� Duncan said was 鈥渋n many cases neither good value nor good engineering. As we all know, it鈥檚 just cost cutting.

鈥淯nfortunately that has meant a legacy of recently constructed, value-engineered buildings inexpertly erected and monitored, and with inadequate maintenance funds to keep people safe.鈥�

Duncan said RIBA had developed a series of policy positions and recommendations in recent months, including putting together a detailed submission to the Hackitt review. 鈥淲e鈥檝e identified a need for an overhaul of procurement, of regulations, of the roles and responsibilities in particularly complex residential buildings, and for a much larger role for independent scrutiny of design and construction.

RIBA also wanted a complete prohibition of any combustible materials in the external wall construction of high-rise buildings. 鈥淚f the burghers of London could do it in 1666, I can鈥檛 understand why we can鈥檛 today,鈥� Duncan said.

Duncan said there was a need for a greater role for sprinklers 鈥渁s an active safety measure in all residential buildings鈥�, along with a complete line of accountability throughout a building project.

A building was 鈥渆veryone鈥檚 responsibility 鈥� client, principal designer, principal contractor 鈥� and you have to have this follow-through. We鈥檝e already got that system working for one part of health and safety. Why don鈥檛 we extend it? Perhaps that would help.鈥�