MIMA responds to Hackitt interim report on Building Regulations and Fire Safety
MIMA believes phase two report must go further to recommend that Buildings Regulations only allow non-combustible materials to be specified for use in mid to high-rise & high occupancy buildings.
MIMA welcomes Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent interim report on Building Regulations and Fire Safety and its recommendations - in particular the finding that the current regulatory system for ensuring fire safety in high-rise and complex buildings is not fit for purpose.
It is immensely important that there is clarity on the design responsibility, and building regulations must be made simple and clear - both honourable aims. However MIMA firmly believes that the phase two report in Spring 2018 must go further to recommend that Buildings Regulations only allow non-combustible materials to be specified for use in mid to high-rise & high occupancy/high risk buildings.
Designers need to know exactly what they can and cannot use. This should be mandatory, underpinned by legislation and not left in unofficial guidance i.e. not open to misinterpretation or ambiguity, in order to protect public safety.
Sarah Kostense-Winterton, Executive Director at MIMA, representing the non-combustible insulation manufacturers comments "MIMA will work hard with Dame Judith, the Government and other stakeholders to create a more effective regulatory system that puts public safety first and foremost."
"We truly hope that as Dame Judith said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the next phase of her review would focus on “overhauling [the regulations] in quite a significant way” and that we see very real, cultural and constructive change. Let's learn from the tragedy of Grenfell and do all we can to avoid such future events."
