How do the Grenfell Inquiry findings impact the building services industry?

Building services account for around half the value of construction projects but get little of the influence in how they are designed and constructed (until it is too late). The role of building services is often undervalued and therefore products are selected with price in mind rather than the delivery of a quality building. The findings from the Grenfell Inquiry highlight the importance of competence and quality over return on investment to ensure our industry leads us to a safer future.

What were the key findings from the Grenfell Inquiry?

The final report from the Grenfell Inquiry highlights severe failures in the construction industry that contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire. The key criticism was that the tragedy was avoidable, with the report noting widespread incompetence, dishonesty, and greed in the construction sector.

“The construction industry needs to become more competent, technically capable, and less driven by cost and speed over safety”.

So, this means that there needs to be a step-change in how the industry views the selection of products for a job. The key driver for product selection should always be around suitability and technical specification rather than cost.

Building Safety Act and the new Building Safety Regulator

An update to the Building Safety Act has now created a Building Safety Regulator (BSR), responsible for the regulation of ALL buildings, with new statutory roles for designers and contractors on all projects. The Act also includes a new strengthened regulatory regime for higher risk buildings, improving accountability, risk-management and assurance.

All of this means that competence and accountability will now be at the forefront of the industry to help drive the necessary changes to ensure safety in the industry.

CIBSE have created a useful one-sheet summary of the Building Safety Act changes and they also offer an in depth training course should you wish to deepen your knowledge.

How can the selection of M&E fixings contribute to safer buildings?

M&E fixings might only be considered a very small part of the overall installation but the key principles of selecting suitable, quality fixings must apply to ensure a safe and secure installation. The failure of M&E fixings can and does occur through selection of inappropriate products or poor installation practices. If fixings fail, for example in the event of a fire, installations can collapse, block escape routes or injure people. It is therefore imperative to look at the specification and requirements of each project individually before selecting a product.

Since our beginnings 100 years ago, Walraven has always had a focus on quality and competence. Our products are tested and certified to the highest standards for factors like loads, quality, efficiency and fire resistance. This enables us to offer strong, reliable, tested fixing systems. Our solutions are always backed up by our Technical Support Team who can provide advice to help you make the best product selections.