The public inquiry into Grenfell makes its first report – but those responsible for the circumstances leading up to the fire are yet to face the consequences.
Articles on Fire safety
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It will take time to digest the details of the 830-plus page report from phase one of the inquiry, but there are clear improvements to be made.
Ensuring a building will be safe against fire requires careful consideration from not only fire engineers, but also from builders, architects and building owners.
Unsafe apartments are being evacuated as confidence plummets – even the author of a report commissioned by building ministers wouldn’t buy a new apartment. What will it take for governments to act?
The construction industry crisis didn’t happen overnight. Authorities have been on notice for years to fix the problems that now have the industry itself calling for better regulation.
Regulations that are meant to protect residents from building failures and fires have been found wanting. All governments must take responsibility for fixing the defective regime they created.
Grenfell Tower fire is the kind of tragedy that changes the built environment forever, through new building rules and safety measures.
Estimated costs for Victoria alone range from hundreds of millions to as much as $1.6 billion If work to rectify buildings fitted with combustible cladding isn’t well handled.
I have been interested in the science of fire and fireworks for a long time, and can tell you there is a lot happening in the very short time it takes to light a match.
Years of regulatory failure are having direct impacts on the hip pockets of the many Australians who bought defective houses or apartments. It’s turning into a multibillion-dollar disaster.
Under the new code, buildings are hardly likely to differ measurably from their fault-ridden older siblings and can still fall short of a six-star rating. It’s possible they may have no stars!
Architects, certifiers and engineers who work as consultants to builders are on notice about potential liability for the use of flammable cladding, but governments are also culpable for their actions.
The risks of combustible cladding on high-rise buildings have long been known. And audits have identified hundreds of Australian buildings with this cladding. Delay in replacing it is inexcusable.
As more and more Australians live and work in high-rise buildings, their responsibilities and roles in ensuring all occupants’ safety must not be neglected.
Fortunately, no lives were lost in the latest cladding fire in Melbourne, but it’s a stark reminder of the urgent need to track and verify that building materials comply with safety standards.
Research found that burns were most common among children under five years.
Preventing severe wildfires in the UK needs to be a political priority as climate change means they will be a growing problem.
Waste byproducts from rice and glass combined with fungus can create a construction material with the potential to save lives and the planet.
A year on what do we know about how the Grenfell fire spread? And what changes need to happen to make sure there is never a repeat?
In NSW and Victoria this week, communities were hit by bushfires. Long after such devastating fires pass, the risks to physical and mental health remain.
Top contributors
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Adjunct Professor of Architecture, University of Technology Sydney
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Associate Dean, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Professor of Leadership and Management, Edge Hill University
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Associate Professor in Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Professor of Journalism, Middlesex University
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Director, Glowpear, Board member, ISDRS, Vice President, AHA and Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, RMIT University
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Professor of Chemistry and Fire Science, University of Lancashire
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Lecturer in Construction and Property, The University of Melbourne
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Wildfire Specialist, University of California Cooperative Extension; Adjunct Professor at the Bren School, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of California, Santa Barbara
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Postdoctoral researcher, Universität Wien
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Ph.D. Candidate, University of Colorado Boulder
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Research fellow, The University of Queensland
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Associate Professor, School of Sciences, RMIT University
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Professor of Fire Protection Engineering, University of Maryland
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Lecturer - Department of surgery Speciality: Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, University of Nairobi