ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION
LOOKING BEYOND COMPLIANCE TO 360º SAFETY RESPONSIBILITY IN CLADDING SPECIFICATION Brian G Newell, Founder and CEO of cladding specialist, Shackerley, discusses the need for cladding specification decisions to be made based on a full understanding of all safety criteria, rather than ticking a box for compliance. SHACKERLEY
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t’s now more than three and a half years since the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, but the issue of building safety and, in particular, cladding safety is still making headlines. Recent reports about the number of buildings where occupiers have to pay huge sums for fire watch patrols while they continue to wait for the cladding on their building to be replaced indicate the ongoing impact of historic specification choices. Grenfell was a catalyst for change. It is now two years since legislation was passed making it mandatory for cladding used on high-rise residential buildings (HRRBs) of 18m and above to be certified to A1 or A2-S1-d0 to BS EN 13501-1. This means that homebuyers and investors purchasing a recentlycompleted apartment or a development currently on site can rest assured their cladding is noncombustible. The question remains, however, does compliance with legislation mirror cladding safety specification best practice? The Hackitt inquiry and the subsequent legislative process have certainly done much to raise awareness of safety issues in the cladding specification process. There has been increased vigilance throughout the delivery chain – from client and architect through to main contractor and cladding installation specialist – as a result. However, the safety focus for
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many involved in the specification and procurement of cladding remains firmly centred on compliance rather than a true consideration of all the safety implications of their product choices throughout the building’s service life.
Focus on maximum fire safety One of the consequences of the continuing investigations into the Grenfell disaster is an anticipation of further legislative change. Developers want to ensure that their building will be compliant following completion, and fire safety has become an essential marketing message for residential projects, along with a duty of care to future residents. Architects and other consultants are also keen to future-proof the specification by ensuring optimum fire safety certification levels are embedded in product choices. For many projects, this has resulted in a performance requirement of A1 certification – even though A2-S1-d0certified materials also currently comply with requirements for residential buildings above 18m.
