Fire Safety Organisation Calls for Urgent Cultural Change

A growing fire safety organisation has sent a stark message to those working across the housing sector with decisions to make about fire safety – change needs to start now. Fire Aware’s CEO Gavin Skelly made the call as the fire safety industry starts to understand the implications of the post-Grenfell era and the legal process that is underway.

Gavin Skelly said: “There is a wave of change – and reality – sweeping those sectors with a particular responsibility to protect people. Those inhabiting the built environment are vulnerable from the poor moral performance of those who hold a duty of care to keep them safe.

“This is a widespread responsibility and means a much to the owner of a restaurant, as it does to the owners of care homes, schools or shopping centres. The change we are seeing is in those business owners, and many others, realising that they are directly responsible and that it is not acceptable to offset that responsibility to suppliers.

“We are making a call to the decision-makers in the supply chains serving these sectors to examine their procurement commitments in the interests of public safety and to be clear about their responsibility.

“Our own members are proud to commit to our Code of Conduct and our specific charters which take the safety process beyond legislation. This is a vocation, not a job, and we are all in this together.”

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Dame Judith Hackitt – who led the Grenfell Inquiry – has called for cultural change through moral and ethical behaviours, recently supported by the new independent Building Safety Regulator (BSR) which has been created to ‘promote competence and higher standards.’

Skelly said all of those involved in the design, construction, management, maintenance and letting of the built environment need to understand that they have an obligation to fire safety even if their business is not directly connected with fire specialisms.

The Metropolitan Police recently announced they are close to submitting evidence as a result of their extensive investigation into the Grenfell tragedy, and are submitting evidence to CPS by the end of September, with charges sought for up to 57 people. Although evidence is soon to be handed over, the decision to press charges could take until June 2027, with trials unlikely to begin before 2029.