Shocking news is no surprise
TEST SHOWS FIRE DOORS AT GRENFELL WERE SUB-STANDARD
A RESIDENT who survived the Grenfell Tower blaze has hit out at after findings revealed flat doors within the building could only hold back fire for half the time they were designed to .
Natasha Elcock said it was time “people’s lives are taken more seriously” following the findings.
She was speaking after tests on an undamaged front door from Grenfell found that it could withstand a blaze for only 15 minutes, and not the 30 for which it was designed.
Housing, Communities and Local Government Minister Sajid Javid said that risk to pubic safety remained low despite the findings, but that the news “will be troubling for many people not least of all those affected by the Grenfell tragedy ”.
Reacting to the tests results on the flat doors, Ms Elcock, who is a representative of the bereaved and survivors’ group Grenfell United said: “It’s shocking – first the cladding and insulation then the doors, who knows what else is putting peoples lives at risk.
“It’s time people lives are taken more seriously – and that includes everyone from every walk of life.
“People’s homes must be made absolutely safe for them and their children. The Government should have improved regulations after previous fires. We can’t listen to anymore excuses.
“Grenfell United will not stop campaigning until the lessons of Grenfell are learnt. Nothing can bring our loved ones back but we must make sure a fire like this never happens again.”
Moyra Samuels, from Justice 4 Grenfell said the findings came as “no surprise”.
“Its indicative of the ongoing concerns that the residents had for their safety”, she said.
“It’s about lack of investment in social housing that successive governments have implemented and it’s about deregulation of safety.
“A combination of austerity, a lack of investment in social housing and deregulation and here you see the consequences, that people actually burn in their beds.”
Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad said: “The news about failing fire doors is of concern to anybody living in high rise buildings.
“Is this a failure of quality or certification? Architects of the era specified fire doors lasting an hour. Why has this been reduced to 30 minutes?
“People are afraid. We need answers now. We cannot afford to wait.”
A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesman said: “We understand that tests organised by the government have found that three fire doors from the same company provided less protection than guidelines recommend, but test results are as yet inconclusive.
“Alongside hundreds of councils and landlords across the country, we are seeking further information from the government on what this means for our residents.
“As soon as we have clear advice from the government about the safety implications of these tests, we will write to our residents about what this means for them.
“We understand this news will be of particular concern to residents in this borough, which is why we are urging the government to move as quickly as it can to give us clarity about the situation.”