London apartments fire – are there issues for Australia?

The fire at the Grenfell Tower in London has naturally led to speculation about the causal factors and the potential for it to happen in Australia.

The Grenfell Tower fire occurred on 14 June 2017 at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of public housing flats in North Kensington, West London. It caused an estimated 80 deaths and over 70 injuries. Police and fire services believe the fire started accidentally in a fridge-freezer on the fourth floor. The rapid growth of the fire is thought to have been accelerated by the building’s exterior cladding, which is of a common type in widespread use.

Understandably, some have raised questions about the role of building products and the extent to which they contributed to fire and its spread.

It is understood that authorities in London will undertake extensive inquiries into the Grenfell Tower tragedy and it is appropriate to let these run their course. As is the norm, Australian authorities will no doubt monitor these inquiries and make improvements to local laws if appropriate. A 2014 incident at the Lacrosse Tower in Melbourne caused authorities to carry out inspections on building products used in the construction of similar buildings to ensure products were fit for purpose.

Conscientious Builders understand the importance of ensuring building products are fit for purpose and installed correctly, but there is always a risk that some products entering Australia don’t meet minimum requirements. Everyone in the building supply chain including manufacturers, importers, and wholesalers, retailers, building designers, builders and contractors have a shared responsibility to ensure building products are safe and fit for purpose.

While the focus is often on builders, greater attention should be given to those involved in importation and distribution. Making sure these products don’t enter the Australian market in the first place is essential and a responsibility of Australian authorities.

Everest Contracting abides by the Building Code of Australia and National Construction Code and ensures we are up to date with codes and policies through our memberships with Master Builders Australia and Housing Industry Association (HIA).