Cartoon

Why has a life-changing industry been ignored? Private Eye’s FIREX cartoon

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IFSEC Insider, formerly IFSEC Global, is the leading online community and news platform for security and fire safety professionals.
July 2, 2017

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Britain’s leading satirical magazine reveals conversations overheard at FIREX International following the fire at Grenfell Tower.

Asking “Why has a life-chaning industry been ignored”, the cartoon provides is a cross-section of industry opinion about Grenfell and its causes.

Some of the anonymous quotations from visitors and exhibitors include:

“We push for adequate regulations and are basically told ‘as long as we’re only killing 300 people a year in ones and twos’ they won’t happen”

 

“Austerity hasn’t decided not to review approved document B, it’s been the de-regulatory environment at the DCLG of the last 30 years”

 

“You do an inspection and say what’s not right but you’re dealing with so many levels of command, each squeezed of funds, that eventually they don’t do anything.”

The cartoon is part of a feature chronicling how residents of Grenfell have been let down by Kensington & Chelsea Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and building regulations.
Read more in the latest issue of Private Eye.

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Brett Gilbert
Brett Gilbert
August 3, 2017 11:38 am

I’m a little disappointed to see comments implying housing associations didn’t visit at Firex. We had 3 representatives there, although we didn’t visit fire alarm manufacturers stands as we typically have preferred suppliers in place. Having standardisation of systems allows our maintenance companies to have stock available to provide first time repairs. We all attended the Grenfell discussions and looked at any advances in technologies which may improve safety of our residents.

Tony Thurgood
Tony Thurgood
August 3, 2017 12:23 pm
Reply to  Brett Gilbert

Typical silo mentality – the answer, as with so many things, ultimately is the correct use of ALL technologies and complete and the carefully thought through integration of them ALL together across the board as a fundamental element within many that form the final structure, its total buildability and its protection of the human beings that occupy it – either at work or residentially. If you do not visit manufacturer stands at such exhibitions, so as to understand what is out there across the board and from every aspect, how it works and integrates, how can you understand that which… Read more »