{"id":71842,"date":"2020-02-14T12:34:31","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T12:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=71842"},"modified":"2020-02-14T12:34:31","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T12:34:31","slug":"fire-safety-post-grenfell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/health-safety-news\/fire-safety-post-grenfell\/71842\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire safety knowledge remains \u2018inadequate\u2019 post-Grenfell, study shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

A third of construction professionals believe the industry still has \u2018inadequate\u2019 knowledge and training around fire safety, according to a study carried out by Iman Farah Mohamed, a quantity surveying student at Birmingham City University<\/a><\/h2>\n

The study looks at industry views on fire safety following the tragic incident in June 2017.<\/p>\n

A third of construction professionals believe the industry still has \u2018inadequate\u2019 knowledge and training around fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster<\/a>, the research has found.<\/p>\n

It revealed that most professionals think \u2018knowledge surrounding fire safety in the construction industry\u2019 is inadequate, while the majority also believe higher education institutions need to do more to educate construction students on fire safety before they enter the sector.<\/p>\n

The research, which surveyed dozens of people working in construction professions and interviewed one expert directly involved with the Grenfell Inquiry<\/a>, also raised concerns around fire evacuation procedures in UK hospitals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The paper, which has been published in the\u00a0International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation<\/a>, suggests that specific roles should be created dedicated to fire safety, or that existing staff members are given the issue as a key responsibility.<\/p>\n

It also recommends that higher education institutions encompass fire safety training in their courses, to ensure the next generation of construction professionals have the skills needed to prevent future disasters from happening.<\/p>\n

Compromised education standards<\/h3>\n

\u201cEducational institutions have drifted from equipping students with detailed knowledge and they now just focus on making money.<\/p>\n

“Standards of education are now severely compromised as there many students entering the industry without knowledge. This explains the poor selection and compromise on building materials. Gone are the years of durability and safety. It\u2019s all money,\u201d said one respondent.<\/p>\n

Equip future professionals<\/h3>\n

Iman Farah Mohamed, who wrote the paper, said: \u201cThe research showed that there remains some concern in the construction industry around the knowledge and training provided in relation to fire safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrenfell was a major incident which brought the issue to the front of people\u2019s minds, but while the awareness in the industry has increased, most professionals want to see more from the sector and higher education providers to prioritise fire safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recommendations suggest how we can make sure professionals of the future are equipped with the knowledge they need to prevent a tragedy like this in the future, and that regulations and guidelines are updated to add a much-needed extra layer of protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further findings<\/h3>\n