Grenfell Tower fire inquiry set to reveal findings on companies and government
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The second and final report of the long-running Grenfell Tower Inquiry will be released this Wednesday, bringing renewed attention to the catastrophic events that led to the loss of 72 lives in June 2017.
The report is expected to contain 1,700 pages worth of scrutiny over the conditions that allowed the fire to spread so rapidly through the west London high-rise.
This time, it will investigate the actions of corporate entities, government bodies and emergency services involved in the tower’s refurbishment and the aftermath of the deadly blaze.
The first phase of the inquiry, published in October 2019, laid bare the devastating role that the tower’s cladding played in the disaster. It concluded that the cladding, which did not comply with building regulations, was the “principal” factor in the fire’s rapid and “profoundly shocking” spread.
It also said there was a “total failure” of compartmentation, meaning measures that were meant to prevent fire from spreading between different parts of the building.
Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick, alongside his panel members, have been tasked with uncovering the decisions that led to the installation of highly combustible materials during the building’s refurbishment.
One area of the Grenfell Tower inquiry’s focus has been the role of local authorities and corporate firms involved in the building’s refurbishment, alongside the government’s oversight of these activities.
Another has been whether the design choices, including the choice of combustible insulation and window infill panels, were influenced by cost-cutting measures and whether fire doors and lifts within the building met safety standards.
The report is expected to cast a critical eye on the London Fire Brigade (LFB) following concerns over its preparedness and response to the fire. The inquiry is likely to offer recommendations on the future structure and management of the LFB.
It will also address the response of authorities to the disaster, particularly in the days immediately following the fire, including whether prior warnings of local residents were ignored.