Grenfell Tower doors found to resist fire for half as long as expected
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid tells the Commons an expert panel had determined there was no increased risk to the public.
Thursday 15 March 2018 12:15, UK
Doors to flats in Grenfell Tower have been found to resist fire for half as long as they were expected to, Sky News can reveal.
When it was tested, a front door taken from one of the undamaged flats held back a blaze for just 15 minutes - 15 minutes less than it had been designed for.
The council responsible for Grenfell Tower said, along with hundreds of other councils, it was urgently seeking information from the Government about whether the finding has implications for residents beyond Grenfell.
The Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told Parliament the Expert Advisory Panel set up in the wake of the fire had determined that there was no increased risk to public safety and no systemic risk.
But, he added, the panel had recommended that further tests be carried out "at pace", to determine the "root cause of the failed test".
The test came as part of a "comprehensive investigation" being carried out into what happened at Grenfell Tower by the Metropolitan Police.
Seventy-one people died in Grenfell Tower in June 2017, when fire spread rapidly up the building in London's west Kensington.
The revelation comes as a firefighter who fought the inferno at Grenfell told Sky News he if his colleagues had been given better radio equipment.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman told Sky News: "We have previously described that our forensic examination at the scene would be followed by a phase of offsite testing to be conducted by experts on our behalf.
"As part of this investigation experts tested a flat front door taken from Grenfell Tower.
"The door tested was designed to resist fire for up to 30 minutes but during the test it was only found to resist the fire for approximately 15 minutes. A much shorter period than expected.
"The forensic examination and the testing phase is ongoing and we are not able to comment as to the potential impact or otherwise that any test result may have on the overall criminal investigation."
A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesman said: "We understand that tests organised by the Government have found that three fire doors from the same company provided less protection than guidelines recommend, but test results are as yet inconclusive.
"Alongside hundreds of councils and landlords across the country, we are seeking further information from the Government on what this means for our residents.
"As soon as we have clear advice from the Government about the safety implications of these tests, we will write to our residents about what this means for them.
"We understand this news will be of particular concern to residents in this borough, which is why we are urging the Government to move as quickly as it can to give us clarity about the situation."
Mr Javid told the House of Commons: "The expert panel has concluded that risk to public safety remains low, that there is no change to fire safety advice, that a programme of additional testing has to be commissioned to determine the root cause of the failed test.
"That's essential - that additional testing is required. It is going on now and, as I said, it has to be thorough but at pace.
"We shouldn't rush it to get inappropriate results. It should be done properly, led by the experts. Their advice so far is that there is no evidence of a systemic problem."
Representatives of the families affected by the Grenfell disaster told of their shock at the finding.
Natasha Elcock, from Grenfell United, said: "It's shocking - first the cladding and insulation, then the doors. Who knows what else is putting people's lives at risk?
"It's time people's lives are taken more seriously - and that includes everyone from every walk of life.
"People's homes must be made absolutely safe for them and their children. The Government should have improved regulations after previous fires. We can't listen to anymore excuses."