Grenfell cladding firms ‘ignoring seriousness of their behaviours’, inquiry told

MANUFACTURERS involved in the flammable cladding used on Grenfell Tower still do not believe they did anything wrong, a lawyer working on behalf of victims and survivors of the fire has told an inquiry.

A representative of bereaved survivors and relatives told a hearing that the “failure by these manufacturers to accept the seriousness of their behaviours” undermines anything else they may say about the disaster.

Yesterday saw the start of the second module of the second phase of the investigation into the 2017 fire which claimed 72 lives.

Hearings over the next few weeks will focus on investigating how products used in the cladding system on the block were manufactured, tested and sold.

Companies facing examination will include Arconic, who manufactured the rainscreen cladding panels installed on the 24-storey block during its refurbishment, and Celotex and Kingspan, who between them supplied the insulation for the system.

Making an opening statement at the start of the module, Stephanie Barwise QC, representing one group of victims of the blaze told the inquiry: “It is all too clear that the manufacturers whose products were used at Grenfell were untroubled by the safety of their products and some of them remain so despite the disastrous fire.

“It is of great concern that even now, Kingspan seeks to trivialise its wrongdoing, and despite compelling evidence to the contrary, Arconic does not even accept that it did anything wrong.

“Instead, Arconic continues to perversely assert that its product could have complied even though that assertion is undermined by the test evidence.”

Arconic supplied the combustible aluminium composite material (ACM) panels used in the cladding system which was previously found to have fuelled the spread of the fire.

Ms Barwise added: “The failure by these manufacturers to accept the seriousness of their behaviours still less the consequences, renders any other assertions they make utterly hollow.”

Arconic were also the subject of discussion at the start of the morning’s session, as it was revealed that a number of witnesses living in France and Germany have declined to give evidence to the inquiry.