The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has exposed the problems of dishonesty, greed and incompetence that plague the construction industry.
Will it be ever thus, or can things change?
The government has responded to the cladding scandal that was exposed by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire with the Building Safety Act 2022, imposing new duties on the industry. Product manufacturers have produced a code of conduct, inviting product marketers to be more honest and transparent in their literature.
But there were rules and guidelines before Grenfell and these were flouted in the 2015 refurbishment project. Rules will surely continue to be flouted and corners will be cut, so long as there is money to be made from it.
Won't they?
Unless…
Grenfell Tower Inquiry panel member Thouria Istephan, an architect and a registered health & safety practitioner, said that while the Building Safety Act was necessary and welcome, it is not enough; it needs to be accompanied by a cultural shift in the industry, with an ongoing commitment to the development of professional skills, driven by professional curiosity.
“The problem of incompetence is widespread,” she said. “This change needs everyone in the construction industry to play their part."
She concluded: “If you work in the construction industry and you do not feel the weight of responsibility you have for keeping people safe, you are in the wrong job.”
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