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Grenfell Tower: What went wrong, and what it means for Housing Providers and the Construction Sector
- Ecosafe
- Jul 4
- 4 min read
On 14th June 2017, a fire at Grenfell Tower in West London tragically claimed 72 lives. Beyond the immediate devastation, it exposed a systemic failure in the UK’s housing, construction, and fire safety ecosystem, raising profound legal and moral questions for property owners, housing associations, contractors, and developers.
This blog outlines the key events, legal outcomes, and most importantly, what the industry must learn to prevent such a disaster from happening again.
Who will benefit from this Grenfell Tower article?
If you are responsible for building safety, tenant welfare or construction compliance, this guide is essential reading:
Commercial landlords
Fire safety and compliance teams
Contractors and refurbishment firms
Housing associations & local authorities
Property developers & building managers
What caused the Grenfell Tower fire?
A faulty fridge-freezer ignited a fire that spread rapidly due to ACM (aluminium composite material) cladding and flammable insulation materials. Poor compartmentation and a delayed evacuation strategy contributed to 72 fatalities.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report concluded that the fire’s deadly spread was fuelled by:
A non-compliant external cladding system
A “stay-put” evacuation policy that became ineffective within 30 minutes
Failures in smoke extraction, fire doors, and internal communication systems
Why this matters for housing associations:
Fire safety is life or death. Any delays in updating cladding, fire doors, or escape strategies can place tenants and your organisation at significant risk.
What did the Grenfell inquiry find?
The inquiry took part in two phases.
Phase 1: The fire and emergency response
Concluded that:
ACM cladding acted as the primary accelerant.
Fire service guidance failed to adapt as conditions worsened.
Poor refurbishment work compromised the building’s compartmentation, allowing fire and smoke to spread between flats and floors.
Read the complete Phase 1 findings
In response to the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, Ecosafe Group installs Evacuation Alert Control & Indicating Equipment (EACIE) to support fire and rescue operations. This system is mandatory in Scotland and strongly recommended for tall buildings in England. Book your consultation here.
Phase 2: Why it happened
Investigated the decisions that led to unsafe materials and practices:
Contractors cut corners during refurbishment.
Manufacturers (Arconic, Kingspan, Celotex) supplied misleading fire safety data.
Contractors and managing authorities failed to act on repeated fire safety complaints from residents.
An insufficiency of coordination between clients, designers, and installers enabled dangerous design choices.
Why this matters:
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, duty holders must now provide a “golden thread” of compliance across the building lifecycle. If you are responsible for fire stopping, cladding, or compliance auditing, the risks of inaction, both legal and reputational, are higher than ever.
Please click here to schedule a passive fire survey to assess your premises, identify potential fire hazards, and inspect the effectiveness of existing fire safety measures.
What has changed since Grenfell?
In 2018, a ban on combustible cladding on new high-rise residential buildings over 18m. Further restrictions apply to hospitals, schools, and hotels.
The introduction of this legislation led to:
A Building Safety Regulator
Defined duty-holder roles
A Building Safety Fund to support remediation
As of May 2025, 517 ACM-clad buildings remain under remediation or unremediated
An estimated 9,000-12,000 buildings over 11m still need work
Estimated costs range from £12.6–22.4 billion. Source: Public Accounts Committee Report
The emotional effect: One voice among thousands
For many, the trauma of Grenfell lives on, not just for survivors, but for thousands of others living in buildings with similar risks.
“I live on the 15th floor of this building. The same thing could have happened here. We could have all died.” - John Cawthorne, resident of Hanover Tower
He is not alone. Many residents live in buildings with unsafe cladding, waiting for government funds, legal clearance, or contractor capacity. They wait not just for repairs, but to finally relax.
What long-term health and environmental checks followed the Grenfell Tower fire?
After the fire, the NHS committed £50 million to long-term health support for affected residents. This includes annual respiratory, paediatric, and mental health assessments.
Imperial College London is also conducting a long-term health study on 687 firefighters who responded to the blaze, monitoring for risks such as cancer and respiratory disease.
Government-led environmental testing later confirmed a low risk of long-term soil or air contamination near the site.
What do businesses need to do now following the Grenfell Tower inquiry?
Grenfell accelerated reforms, but compliance is still evolving. Housing providers, local councils, developers, and commercial landlords must:
Conduct regular fire risk assessments
Audit insulations, cladding, and cavity barriers
Work only with certified, compliant contractors
Complete and document fire-stopping inspections
Communicate openly with residents about known risks
We quote, supply, and install all types of fire doors. To schedule a consultation with our specialists, please click here.
Ecosafe Group’s fire services
We provide:
Cladding inspections and reporting
Fire door surveys and replacements
Fire-stopping installation and third-party certification
Ongoing compliance monitoring for housing associations and councils
To understand how to perform a basic fire door inspection, read our complete blog: 12 Things You Should Know About Fire Doors
Ecosafe Group partners with housing providers to deliver stability and long-term protection in the South West, London and Sussex.
Get in touch by:
Email: liam@ecosafegroup.co.uk
Visiting our website: www.ecosafegroup.co.uk
Summary
There must never be a repeat of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It exposed how lives can be lost, and warnings go unheard when cost-cutting replaces compliance.
At Ecosafe, we believe that safety is a long-term commitment. From fire compliance to complete building renovation, we help housing associations, councils, and developers meet legal obligations and build safer homes, compliantly, cost-effectively, and with zero shortcuts.
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