London tower block inferno

[Dutto]

My sympathies go out to the friends and relatives of those who have fallen victim to this tragedy.

Today the Met announced that, even after bodies are recovered, they ".. may not be able to identify everybody ..."

Without going into details, the above should read ".. may not be able to identify every body ..." because a fire of such intensity as that seen in this case, may result in almost total annihilation.

With regard to the culpability of the people responsible for the situation, the UK has an atrocious record when it comes to prosecuting the senior management of any company or organisation that, by their negligence, have caused the death of a member of the public.

We can only hope that in this case, those responsible are identified and justice is served.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Alarm testing should have taken place weekly. The detector heads should have been inspected six monthly.

 

[Dutto]

Alarm testing should have taken place weekly. The detector heads should have been inspected six monthly.

The key words being "should have"!

I used to run a course for offshore workers in a hotel in Aberdeen. In the winter the huge log fire in the reception area often got a backdraft that blew smoke into the hotel and set off the fire alarm.

Sad to say, on many occasions the only people that turned up at the Muster Point was myself, my students and the hotel's night manager!

 

[sdt7618]

The fire brigade won't have signed of the alarms, but building control should have.... they also should been tested to have been a certain decibel level at set distances.

 

[Tau]

I don't know for certain but I worked in an office block and testing of the smoke detectors was carried out by a private company. Testing of fire alarms was done weekly and by the company but this was a workplace. I don't know the laws on that but would assume its up to the housing association to test the fire alarm. The Fire brigade will carry out inspections annualy or perhaps bi annually, you would think the testing of fire alarms should have been done more frequently.

At the end of the day someone here is culpable, I guess it will take the public enquiry to sort all that out. What should be very apparent already and needs addressing on all other affected tower blocks is that this type of cladding needs removing ASAP.

Agree that the cladding was the main culprit in the spread of the fire, but there seems there were other issues as the core was also burning. There was a video of the cladding catching and spreading a fire on a tower block in France a couple of years ago that should have raised concerns. Took less that a minute to spread from the 1st to the top of the building with the cladding used.

Sprinklers can add problems to fire evcacuation, if in the hallways they turn floors into aquaplane surfaces and the water would flow down the exit stairwells potentially preventing exit from the building and causing slipping, falls, block and a pile up in the em' exit. In flats, if electrics aren't auto switched off potential electrical fires, electrocution and if electrics are off people use so many portable devices additional risks they may create. In addition to this you have a coshh issue, as you have no idea what substances poeple have in their flats that may react with water to produce toxic gas or even cause fire or other hazards.

Not to mention the insurance premium people would have to take out to be covered, pricing out the purpose of such buildings for low cost housing.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

A few people interviewed said many of the flats windows were open the flames and smoke travelling up the sides of the building would have entered the room and cased the fire to spread rapidly and I imagine many will have died from smoke inhalation while asleep.

 

[shepp]

A few people interviewed said many of the flats windows were open the flames and smoke travelling up the sides of the building would have entered the room and cased the fire to spread rapidly and I imagine many will have died from smoke inhalation while asleep.

I said that the other day, if the fire happened in the winter there may well have been less fatalities.

 

[MyQul]

Obviously the plebs are too smelly for T.May to meet with as she only met with police and rescue workers. Someone must have advised her that this doesn't look good so she's going to meet with some of the victims in hospital.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I think she comes across as if she couldn't give a toss about anyone but herself.

 

[MyQul]

I'm not sure she can last much longer. All her creditability is gone, Her MP's hate her for losing the Conservative majority (and in some cases their seat), she's weakened the UK in the coming brexit negotiations. I can't think of anything positive she's done in the past month

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I imagine they are lining up a successor as we type. :lol:

 

[Norfolk79]

She's certainly very good at scoring own goals. I mean how much time out of her day would it have taken just to see some of the residents. Instead she looks terrible for not meeting any of them. Surly if security was an issue they wouldn't let the queen visit today!

Obviously she must have a double all-grain brew day planned, hence the lack of time :lol:

 

[shepp]

Protests are starting, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns into a riot.

 

[chub1]

Obviously the plebs are too smelly for T.May to meet with as she only met with police and rescue workers. Someone must have advised her that this doesn't look good so she's going to meet with some of the victims in hospital.

Mmmmmmmmmm
don't know about that. I did hear reports that a lot of the locals were getting p####d off with the constant visits from the hierachy(spl) and were actually giving Khan some stick.
I will add i am not a May fan by the way:nono:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHUxWP47c5E[/ame]


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl2lHXSPF54[/ame]

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Watch the video in the BBC link below where he discusses the "extra" wall (picture below) added to all the flats.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-40308038/london-fire-residents-in-similar-tower-block-share-concerns

 

[MyQul]

Mmmmmmmmmm
don't know about that. I did hear reports that a lot of the locals were getting p####d off with the constant visits from the hierachy(spl) and were actually giving Khan some stick.
I will add i am not a May fan by the way:nono:

It's what I read in the commuter paper (Evening Standard), along with accompaying piccies of her with fire men/women and police women and men but not anywhere near any locals. I'm sure if she had been mingling with the hoi paloi there would have been plenty of pics. There were plent of pics of Corbyn hugging survivor/disraught locals. We all know politicans love a good photo opportunity and I'm sure she wouldn't have missed out. Whatisname Javid was also quoted in the same paper defending her saying it was due to "security reasons" iirc
You're right about khan, he was getting stick from locals

 

[Duxuk]

Protests are starting, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns into a riot.

I'm thinking just the same. The "poor" are blaming the "rich" for not caring. It's a tinder box. Won't take long for the liberals and lefties to start rabble rousing.
Mrs May has disappointed again. How many chances does she need to prove she is any kind of leader?

 

[MyQul]

I'm thinking just the same. The "poor" are blaming the "rich" for not caring. It's a tinder box. Won't take long for the liberals and lefties to start rabble rousing.
Mrs May has disappointed again. How many chances does she need to prove she is any kind of leader?

Obviuosly she's not. If I was a tory leaning voter I'd be wanting shot of her as soon as. All her creditbility is gone and she comes across as power mad and arrogant which rubs off on the rest of the party

 

[GhostShip]

People have every right to be angry about this fire, but compare it to the Borough Market terror attack. Everyone's lighting candles and singing 'Don't Look Back In Anger'.

Why can't we be angry about both?