Read on Twitter
Tomorrow could well be one of the most important days in the Grenfell Tower inquiry since it began two and a half years ago.
I appreciate minds are firmly elsewhere, but here's a quick thread of what's happening and why it matters:
I appreciate minds are firmly elsewhere, but here's a quick thread of what's happening and why it matters:
We are about to begin Module 2 of Phase 2. This section will look at 'the testing, classification, certification and marketing' of the deadly materials fitted to the walls of the tower. That sounds technical, and it will be, but it's also really important.
Ultimately, this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime lifting of the curtain to look at how giant multinational companies test, certify, market and sell their products. At Grenfell we're primarily talking about two companies: Arconic (cladding) and Celotex (insulation).
Tomorrow from around 10am lawyers for the survivors will outline the case as they see it against these companies and the various privatised testing and certification bodies involved in approving them.
Here are some bits we already know:
Here are some bits we already know:
We know that the cladding panels should have met Euroclass B (or UK Class 0) to be used on the tower. They were advertised and certified as meeting the latter.
But in European testing before Grenfell, they tested as low as Class E and F. These tests were not disclosed.
But in European testing before Grenfell, they tested as low as Class E and F. These tests were not disclosed.
In fact, in June 2011 a senior member of Arconic's European operation sent an internal email saying this meant they were "not suitable for building facades". A month later he said this:
In June 2015 he said this:
These panels had a certificate from the British Board of Agrément - a certification body which was privatised in 1983. This certificate said the panels "may be regarded" as having a Class 0 surface and was widely circulated by the team which decided to use the panels at Grenfell
The BBA has said it was never made aware of the testing which showed the products testing to a lower quality. We will learn more about why and how it was issued tomorrow and over the next few months.
Next the insulation. Thanks to changes to building guidance in the mid-2000s combustible insulation was permitted on high rises if it was used as part of a system which passed a large-scale test. Celotex RS5000 was in a system which passed one of these tests in 2014.
But we have already learned about some major problems with this test. Primarily - that it included fire breaks around the temperature monitors which were never disclosed. This test was run at the Building Research Establishment - a former national testing lab privatised in 1997.
We've also seen some internal emails from Celotex as they figured out how to get through a test. The product was tested twice, failing the first time, passing the second. At one point, Celotex came close to abandoning its efforts because the product "would burn"
But after it passed, they marketed the product as "suitable for use on high rise buildings". The Grenfell project was added to a 'must win' list by the firm's sales team, and the insulation was sold at a 47% discount. They then inquired about using the tower as a case study
Remember: it was not used on the tower in the combination it was tested, but with the extremely combustible ACM made by Arconic.
Arconic and Celotex have both stressed they had no design responsibility for the tower. They will also give openings tomorrow.
Arconic and Celotex have both stressed they had no design responsibility for the tower. They will also give openings tomorrow.
So, even though tomorrow is the busiest news day imaginable for the reasons we're all aware of - please try and find some space for this. We'll be reporting from the inquiry, as ever.
