The following statement was issued by the Fire Risk Management Group of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) in response to the major fire at the Grenfell Tower block in north Kensington, west London, on 14 June.
“There was a tragic fire in an apartment complex in London, the Grenfell Tower Fire, and our thoughts are very much with the people affected.
This event reflects on the fact that we as occupational safety and health practitioners cannot be complacent about fire safety.
There will certainly be investigations to determine the cause of the fire and the ensuing loss of life. However, no matter which country we are working in as safety and health professionals, this fire underscores the need to be constantly vigilant.
We must strive towards the prevention of fires and ensure that all measures are in place to alert and safely evacuate all occupants should an incident occur.
We await the results of the investigation to draw lessons that can be learned and applied regarding issues such as raising fire safety awareness among occupants, fire detection and notification systems, fire evacuation and accountability and fire suppression systems.
The IOSH Fire Risk Management Group stands ready to engage in the promotion of these highly essential issues,” said Dr David Gold, Chair, IOSH Fire Risk Management Group
