Insurance industry warned the UK government on fire risk before Grenfell disaster

The insurance industry warned the UK government of the dangers of flammable external cladding on buildings a month before the Grenfell Tower blaze that killed at least 79 people.

The cladding used in the tower block in Kensington, London, is widely seen as a cause for the extent of the catastrophe. The London police blamed flammable materials used in the facade for the spread of the blaze.

"In our response to the government’s Housing White Paper in May this year we drew attention to the fact that external cladding made from combustible material can cause fire to spread," Malcolm Tarling, chief media relations officer at the Association of British Insurers, told Intelligent Insurer.

Since the Grenfell incident, sixty other blocks have failed cladding fire safety checks in the UK with many more still to be tested.

"Our position is that there needs to be an urgent review of the building regulations that relate to fire safety (known as ‘Approved Document B’). We have been calling for this comprehensive review since 2009, and it should cover fire consideration of high-rise buildings, and the use of external cladding," Tarling noted.

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