The Grenfell Tower public inquiry must be “a watershed for fire safety”, says the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
The UK Government has announced the terms of reference for the inquiry. Prime Minister Theresa May has accepted in full the recommendations by inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick for what it should consider following a public consultation.
IOSH submitted a response to the consultation and contributed to one of the open meetings. Many of the areas it recommended for examination have been included, such as causation, design and construction, regulation, compliance and resourcing.
The institution has also noted that an independent review of building regulations and fire safety, previously announced by the Prime Minister, will help to inform the work of the inquiry.
Richard Jones, head of policy and public affairs at IOSH, said: “It’s vital that this inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire becomes a watershed for fire safety and helps prevent future such tragedies.
“Agreeing these terms of reference will help ensure key areas of weakness are examined and enable the chair to make the necessary recommendations to improve both current and future fire risk management.”
Sir Martin intends to hold a preliminary hearing in mid-September and to provide an initial report by Easter 2018, dealing with the cause of the fire and the means by which it spread to the whole building.
