Young men in the construction industry are always failed by governments unwilling to regulate to save their lives. I hope this labor government will overhaul construction and building regulations, putting workers’ lives first.
Do you have a stone-cut kitchen? This man is dying because his employer did not provide equipment to safeguard him from the dust. We need emergency regulation now, as when workers ask for safety equipment, they are told they can get a job elsewhere – the most vulnerable workers at the most risk.
The British Saftey Council, researchers, and clinicians are asking for four improvements.
Four improvements
The clinicians are calling for four improvements:
- A UK ban on artificial stone (as introduced in Australia in 2024) must be considered.
- National guidelines, work to enumerate the at-risk population and identify cases early.
- The introduction of a legal requirement to report cases of [artificial stone] silicosis
- Implementation of health and safety regulations with a focus on small companies
It’s not just the NHS that is not safe in Tory hands
Grenfell was the result of Tory governments cutting ‘red tape’
Multiple governments have reduced building regulations over the years, including the Thatcher, Major, and Cameron, and these reductions have contributed to building safety issues:
- Thatcher government: Reduced building regulations from over 300 pages to 25, and removed the requirement to ensure buildings met fire safety regulations.
- Major government: Privatized the Building Research Establishment, which created a conflict of interest.
- Cameron government: Reduced regulations further with the “one in, two out” policy.
- Coalition government: Cut fire budgets by around 28% and ignored warnings from previous fires.
- Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG): Repealed Section 20 of the London Building Acts in 2013 related to fire safety in larger buildings.
The Grenfell Tower fire showed that the external cladding did not meet building regulations and actively promoted the spread of fire. In response, the government passed the Building Safety Act 2022, which created a new regulatory framework for higher-risk buildings. The government also banned the flammable cladding and insulation materials that were responsible for the fire.
Here’s the sorry list of how Grenfell inspections by the Kensington & Chelsea Council failed:
- Inspections failed to identify flammable cladding. The Kensington and Chelsea Council inspected the building 16 times during its renovation but did not prevent the use of flammable cladding. The cladding was a major factor in the spread of the fire that killed at least 79 people.
- Fire safety inspections The building failed at least two fire safety inspections in the months before the fire, but the organization managing the building did not take action.
- Fire door inspections were not performed. Despite warnings from the London Fire Brigade, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) decided not to inspect fire doors in buildings it owned.
- The local fire chief admitted to inadequate training. The local fire chief admitted that his training on high-rise fires was inadequate.
- Cladding was added for visual appearanceThe inquiry found that the initial motive for cladding Grenfell was for its “visual appearance”.
Other factors that contributed to the tragedy include:
- A lack of clear responsibility for ensuring designs complied with statutory requirements
- A fire door that failed a test after approximately 15 minutes
- The building only having one stairwell
- The apartments not being fitted with sprinklers
Regulation save lives
#Grenfell #Silicosis #RedTapeSavesLives
