LABC response to Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report

Our first thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the bereaved families and survivors who must be finding this a particularly difficult and distressing time.

The Inquiry’s final report and recommendations will shape the industry for decades to come.

We are pleased to see such a comprehensive review of the tragedy at Grenfell Tower. The Inquiry has had significant statutory powers which have enabled it to see things others could not see. Following our own internal investigations into historic activities within LABC, we note that the conclusions reached by the inquiry entirely coincide with our own.

LABC cooperated fully with the Inquiry throughout, providing detailed evidence and testimony. We can see there are justified criticisms about some of our actions at the time. LABC admitted errors at the very first opportunity and apologised immediately and repeatedly. Again, we wholeheartedly acknowledge and apologise for any areas where LABC has failed in the past.

LABC today is not the same organisation as it was. Even before the Inquiry started, we embarked on a period of radical change as an organisation. We take the Inquiry’s conclusions extremely seriously and will continue the process of reform within LABC itself, and the promotion of new standards, the building safety regime and the registration of the building control profession. 

We are completely committed to playing our part in educating, building and validating the competence and standards of the building control sector so that we can help deliver safe and decent homes and buildings for all. 

For any media enquiries, please contact the LABC Press Office or tel. +44 (0)7778778361

NOTES

5 important changes that LABC has implemented since the tragedy

• Closed its product registration scheme, which was originally designed to support public service building control in their jobs but was severely manipulated by certain unscrupulous product manufacturers, as identified by the Inquiry.
• Invested millions of pounds and years of work in building future skills and competence within public service building control teams, to increase capacity and capability within the sector. This includes setting up the Building Safety Competence Foundation.
• Changed its leadership team and culture and invested in further training and development for our whole team. This includes a new requirement for every individual, to demonstrably prove their competence against their job role.
• Overhauled many other processes, including much stricter controls on document management. LABC has a new document management system, a BSI-audited QA process, and all technical queries and issues have a clear sign-off journey that includes peer review so that it is no longer reliant on individuals making decisions in isolation.
• Continued to participate very actively in statutory committees and government working groups, focused on improving regulation, competence and safety.