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British authorities have announced an independent review into building regulations after new tests identified 82 apartment towers with cladding that failed to meet fire safety tests, following the Grenfell Tower block blaze that killed at least 80 people.
Britain ordered more thorough testing on the cladding systems following the June 14 blaze, which began with a fire in one apartment's refrigerator and spread quickly throughout the 24-storey Grenfell Tower building.
Experts have warned about risks posed by the cladding for years because some systems use highly flammable plastic foam insulation.
That material can rapidly spread fires once it ignites, but even aluminium composite panels, which are rated fire-resistant, can be dangerous if they are not properly installed.
"It's clear we need to urgently look at building regulations and fire safety," said UK Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.
"[The Government is] determined to make sure that we learn the lessons from Grenfell Tower fire, and to ensure nothing like it can happen again."
The decision comes amid a new round of more comprehensive testing, which went further than the initial testing that saw hundreds of cladding samples fail tests.
A quick guide to cladding
- Aluminium composite external cladding has been identified as a potential risk
- External walls of buildings should not be made of material which can contribute to the spread of fire
- Regulators say building approval process in WA different to Victoria, and the form of construction of units is often different
- If shiny aluminium panels are found, the materials used should be able to be checked via the builder or the local council
- Aluminium panels inspected by the Building Commission in the Perth CBD so far were found to have a mineral component, and were fire resistant
The more exhaustive "whole system" testing created a simulated tall building and tested the insulation and the cladding materials together to see how they reacted.
The department concluded the screening test "would not meet the requirements for limited combustibility".
The results released this week however marked only the beginning as only one combination of cladding system was tested.
Angry residents want to know how building regulations that were meant to be among the world's best could have failed so catastrophically.
Many accuse officials in Kensington and Chelsea, one of London's richest boroughs, of ignoring their safety concerns because the public housing building was home to a largely immigrant and working-class population.
AP
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, fires, united-kingdom