Gove admits ‘mistakes made’ in cladding crisis, questions leaseholder responsibility for costs and revokes advice on low-rise buildings

November 10, 2021

Safety advice released in the wake of the Grenfell Tower Fire that has stood since January 2020, and has led to hundreds of low-rise buildings being deemed unsafe, is to be withdrawn by Christmas according to Michael Gove. Read More

Number of unsafe buildings in London suspending ‘stay put’ strategy passes 1k – Fire Commissioner calls for urgent action

October 15, 2021

Urgent action has been called for by the London Fire Commissioner after the number of apartment blocks in London deemed unsafe exceeds 1,000. Read More

£16.5m of successful applications for fire alarms under £30m waking watch fund alternative scheme

August 4, 2021

The Government has released interim figures on the number of successful applications for funding of fire detection and alarm systems under its Waking Watch Relief Fund. Read More

Buildings under 18m no longer require EWS1 forms after independent research finds “no systemic risk of fire in blocks”

July 26, 2021

Following new advice from fire safety experts commissioned by the Secretary of State earlier this year, the Government has set out that EWS1 (External Wall System) Forms should no longer be requested for buildings below 18m. Read More

“Post-Grenfell, we will see changes to regulations, firefighting practice and how building materials are tested and certified, but I am not confident that we will see systemic change”

May 14, 2021

SHP speaks to Gill Kernick about her new book ‘Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters.’ Read More

Fire Safety Bill becomes Fire Safety Act 2021

May 6, 2021

The Fire Safety Bill has recently passed through the House of Commons and House of Lords after a long-running parliamentary battle over the insertion of a clause to protect residents from remediation costs. Read More

Major UK housebuilders commit funds to fire safety works

March 11, 2021

Several of the UK’s major housebuilders have announced focused pots of funding to be used on the replacement of cladding and other fire safety issues. Read More

Lessons from Grenfell: Why aren’t we learning?

March 5, 2021

In episode 8 of the Safety & Health Podcast, we hear from Gill Kernick about the pressing need to improve building safety culture post-Grenfell. We then look ahead to 2021 with some news from the Women in Safety & Health Network, plus hear an update on the One Percent Safer Foundation. Read More

Roofing company fined after worker suffers fatal injuries in fall

March 1, 2021

The HSE found that the repair work was carried out without appropriate safety precautions in place. The planning and supervision of the work was completely inadequate, which also put a self-employed worker assisting with the repairs at risk. Read More

Housing Secretary pledges additional £3.5bn to tackle cladding crisis

February 10, 2021

Fund is in addition to the £1.6bn released for the Building Safety Fund, announced last year, and will be used to help remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings, but critics say the proposals fall short of what is needed. Read More

cladding