Horrific Fire Engulfs London Apartment Tower

[JimC]

I think it's astounding that building regulatory regimes in modern nations (including Germany and Oz) have so completely stuffed this up...

[pErvinalia]

Not in the bit surprising, though, with the continuing corporate ownership of our political systems.

[JimC]

Not in the bit surprising, though, with the continuing corporate ownership of our political systems.

It was more the extent of it - there is always a tendency for capitalists to cut corners for profit and so produce some dodgy results, but I thought major safety issues on this scale would have been caught by the authorities...

[Svartalf]

Seems that every piece of cladding that's been tested, 120 samples from 30+ regions so far, has failed the government's flammability test. Surely the question now is who is making this stuff, who is approving this stuff, who is buying this stuff, and who is fitting this stuff? Oh hang on, that four questions.... I'll come in again.

I hear there's a French company making it super cheap, their argument is that "it's not their job to check the product for local norms"...

[rainbow]

I think it's astounding that building regulatory regimes in modern nations (including Germany and Oz) have so completely stuffed this up...

OK, there is also the issue of the regulators. They tend to be legally trained rather than engineers.

[mistermack]

From what I can see, they seem to be very inward looking, rather than outward.

They rely on their own tests, rather than lessons from the rest of the world.
I can't believe that this tower is the first example worldwide of the cladding allowing a fire to spread.

When a plane goes down, the whole world learns from the cause. The same thing happens in medicine.
This should be happening in fire prevention.

If this cladding hadn't caused previous problems, it wouldn't be banned in other countries. So it's obvious that the UK hasn't been looking or learning. That's what needs to change.

[Scot Dutchy]

Britain always wants to invent the wheel again in almost every field as we 'forrin gits' dont know what we are talking about.

[Alan B]

The UK is controlled by corporate interests to the extent that if 'Red Tape', in the form of regulations, interferes with their ability to make a profit, they will 'lobby' those in power to remove any such regulation regardless of cost.
This will allow manufacturers to make 'dodgy' goods to sell to unregulated areas. In the case of Grenfell, the onus falls upon the purchasers and installers of the cladding and building design.
If the manufacturer also installed the cladding, then one must look further up the chain to those who authorised its use.

But even those who are 'authorised' to make these decisions may not be to blame if the regulations have been scrapped at the behest of the, er, manufacturer.
It could appear to be a large ever-inclusive circle of corruption with each one, perhaps, blaming the other.

[pErvinalia]

The UK is controlled by corporate interests to the extent that if 'Red Tape', in the form of regulations, interferes with their ability to make a profit, they will 'lobby' those in power to remove any such regulation regardless of cost.

No no you've got that wrong. Capitalists care about people. They'd never put profit before safety. Never. Shame on you.

[Svartalf]

Depends, profit for the rich and powerful goes well before safety for the poor and worthless, the rich can afford to have standards without going through regs and red tape.

[pErvinalia]

Collector is going to sort you right out!

[Svartalf]

I'll have a couple legionaries out for him with their service rifles

[Brian Peacock]

He'll see your Legionaries and raise you an elite squad of Navy Seals led by Steven Seagal.

[JimC]

Shit, he's been on a good paddock!

[pErvinalia]

He shows up in the corner of various UFC fighters from time to time. Dressed out in his funny Aikido looking garb. It's a curious thing that the higher the level of a marital artist, the fatter they seem to get (I'm generalising of course). My Kung Fu Sifus were all fat, apart from one (who was only young; plenty of time to fatten up). My Ju Jitsu Sensei was fat. His son who was a Judo expert and Olympian was built like a tank, so will wind up a fatty like his dad when he gets to his age. And the best Sifu's in the Ip Man movies are all fatties.