Fire safety ambition set out

Photo: London Fire Brigade

Fire at Grenfell Tower, London

Plans to develop a world class approach to fire safety have been set out in Greater Manchester, as work continues to reassure thousands of local residents following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

A feasibility study into the retrofitting of sprinklers in residential high rises, a consistent Greater Manchester approach to fire safety, and a call for the fire and rescue service to be consulted at all stages of a building’s life cycle, are part of the proposals put forward by Greater Manchester’s High Rise Task Force to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The Task Force was set up by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham following the Grenfell Tower tragedy to provide fire safety reassurance to thousands of local residents living in high rises across the city-region.

The proposals come as Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) completes the inspection of more than 500 residential high rises in Greater Manchester, to ensure they comply with fire safety regulations. Fire officers have been working with housing providers, local authorities and the private sector to ensure all buildings receive the right fire safety advice and residents feel safe in their homes.

Evidence from the National Fire Chief’s Council shows that sprinklers are the most effective way to ensure that fires are suppressed or even extinguished before the fire service can arrive, with research also showing that in both converted and purpose built flats sprinklers are 100% effective in controlling fires.

The Task Force includes landlords of tower blocks across the city region in both private and public ownership, as well as representatives from every local authority in Greater Manchester and other specialist officers who can offer support to ensure every high rise is safe.

Residents are also being offered a Safe and Well visit from GMFRS to talk about health and wellbeing, crime prevention as well as fire safety advice.

The work of the Task Force will inform a Greater Manchester response to the national public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower. This will look at a wide range of issues, including consideration of sprinkler systems and the level of resource that the Fire and Rescue Service has following the cuts of recent years.

Greater Manchester will also be submitting evidence to the Government’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety, which will highlight concerns and conflicts in existing legislation.