Tests reveal a ‘ticking time bomb’ of high rise cladding

CLADDING material used on thousands of tall buildings in the UK has failed a safety test, a study has found.

In a fire test, the material, previously deemed safer than that used on Grenfell Tower, burned almost as rapidly as the aluminium and plastic panels blamed for the disaster.

The test will heap pressure on building owners to continue to remove the high pressure laminate (HPL) panels, which are common in the UK.

The Government recently agreed to fund their removal, but it was deemed less urgent than the removal of the aluminium and plastic type, known as ACM.

A video of the latest test, seen by the BBC, shows flames reaching the top of a 30ft (9m) test wall in seven minutes and 45 seconds with temperatures approaching 700C. The test should last 30 minutes and the temperature recorded should stay below 600C.

The test of HPL panels with a combustible insulation, carried out earlier this month, was commissioned privately by the Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association (MCRMA). Dr Jonathan Evans, a member of the MCRMA, described the results as “shocking” and raised questions about why the Government had not taken more decisive action to get this type of cladding removed.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said buildings “could and should have been made safer with a comprehensive testing regime immediately after Grenfell, but the Government failed to act”.

The union has warned that, with people spending more time at home under the lockdown, the flammable cladding is “a ticking time bomb”.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “This cladding failing so dramatically … should send shivers down the spines of government … thousands upon thousands of people are living in dangerous homes.”