All buildings tested fail
LONDON: Flammable cladding has been found on 75 highrise buildings across 26 local authority areas tested in the wake of the Grenfell fire disaster.
The combustibility test has been failed by every building examined so far, Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said.
Describing the Grenfell Tower fire as ‘‘a catastrophic failure’’, he announced the formation of an independent expert advisory panel to advise the Government on any immediate steps that need to be taken on fire safety.
The scope of the forthcoming public inquiry into the fire is expected to widen, examining the apparent widespread use of cladding.
Addressing concerns from MPs Mr Javid admitted ‘‘multiple fire safety inspection failures’’ had been discovered in tower blocks which have been evacuated.
‘‘Literally hundreds of fire doors were missing’’ from highrises, he said, as he outlined other failures including inaccessible stairways and breaches of internal walls.
Earlier, Theresa May’s official spokesman said questions over why the material was used on tower blocks nationwide despite breaching fire safety rules would likely be scrutinised.
Arconic, the metal products maker that was once part of Alcoa Inc., has announced it will stop selling one type of aluminium composite panelling for use on highrise buildings after speculation that the material contributed to the spread of the deadly fire at Grenfell Tower.
Reynobond PE, which has a polyethylene core, will no longer be sold for highrise projects, New Yorkbased Arconic said in a statement yesterday.
Arconic said it supplied Reynobond FR to a fabricator which used it as a component on Grenfell Tower’s cladding system.
It added that it sold its product with the expectation it would be used in compliance with local building codes.
The company previously had warned that such panels posed a fire risk on tall buildings. — AAP/ AP