The Grenfell Tower tragedy stands as a devastating reminder of what can happen when fire safety is not prioritized in construction, whether renovation or new build. The Netflix documentary, Grenfell: Uncovered, alongside the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, highlights how decisions made throughout the renovation process — including the use of combustible façade insulation and cladding — resulted in catastrophic human consequences, with 72 people dying in the tower blaze.
At its core, the Grenfell tragedy is the result of systemic neglect — neglect that encompassed regulation, industry practice, and enforcement at local and national levels. De-regulation, poor oversight, misleading industry practice, ignored safety warnings and cost-cutting all played a role. Sadly, Grenfell is not an isolated incident. Similar tragedies have occurred across Europe, most recently in Valencia.
The EU’s EPBD presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape Europe’s built environment. It is extremely positive that the renovation wave will improve millions of buildings by 2050, targeting the worst-performing ones first and ultimately leading to a fully decarbonized building stock by 2050. And while transformational goals such as these are welcome, it’s imperative that EPBD implementation puts fire safety on equal footing alongside energy efficiency.
There is an urgent need for policymakers and industry leaders to take decisive action.
Fire safety should be non-negotiable
With the EU about to transform its built environment to provide a sustainable future, we have to get it right.
A well-insulated, energy-efficient building can reduce heating needs by up to 70 percent. It can also improve occupant comfort, reduce noise and improve a building’s aesthetic if a new façade is installed. As the Netflix documentary demonstrates, these benefits mean little if achieved at the expense of safety.
The good news lies in what we already know — and it’s not complicated. Non-combustible insulation and cladding reduce the fire risk, while combustible counterparts don’t. Why? Because non-combustible materials like stone wool insulation don’t burn. And because it can withstand temperatures up to 1,000 C, stone wool insulation can help stop a fire from spreading. Another important factor is that non-combustible stone wool does not produce significant amounts of toxic smoke or gases when exposed to fire.
The good news lies in what we already know — and it’s not complicated. Non-combustible insulation and cladding reduce the fire risk, while combustible counterparts don’t.
One shouldn’t underestimate the risk of toxic smoke and gases in a fire. Grenfell Tower was wrapped in combustible plastic foam insulation and plastic-filled cladding panels. According to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, all 72 people who died in the fire were overcome by toxic gases. The same toxic smoke and gases are responsible for many of the firefighters who attended at Grenfell developing serious long-term health disorders.
Fire safety matters greatly as EU member states embark on a massive energy efficiency building renovation wave. Policies governing the use of combustible façade materials vary widely among member states. There is no central register to tell us where combustible facades remain in place, leaving a knowledge gap about the extent of combustible facades use in the current building stock. But we do know, from market data, that significant volumes of combustible products continue to make up a large portion of the EU market despite available alternatives, and that puts lives at risk.
Learning the lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire
The public inquiry that followed the Grenfell Tower fire said in its final report that the “safety of people in the built environment depends principally on a combination of three primary elements, good design, the choice of suitable materials and sound methods of construction…”.
It also said that a “fresh approach needs to be taken to reviewing and revising the Building Regulations and statutory guidance that is driven primarily by considerations of safety.” It is critical for EU member states to learn from the report’s findings as they implement the EPBD.
“Safety of people in the built environment depends principally on a combination of three primary elements, good design, the choice of suitable materials and sound methods of construction” — Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report .
ROCKWOOL has long argued for strict regulations mandating the use of non-combustible façade materials in high-rise and high-risk buildings. As legislation among member states continues to vary greatly, the EU should be advising member states to adopt stronger fire safety standards that ban the use of combustible materials on high-rise and high-risk buildings like schools, hospitals and care facilities that have vulnerable occupants and take longer to evacuate.
What it means to get it right
We have an opportunity to create a new generation of energy efficient, acoustically comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and fire-safe buildings — our homes, workplaces, schools, care facilities, and so much more. It’s essential that renovation should mean energy efficiency and fire safety together, not one or the other.
Across the EU, we must learn the tragic lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. The formula is straightforward. For high-rise and high-risk buildings, member states should simply require the use of non-combustible façade insulation and cladding.
When so many good alternatives are readily available, why take the risk to do otherwise?
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