Everyone knows what happened at Grenfell and the consequences of cheap and inappropriate cladding, along with inadequate fire precautions and safety information for the tenants. If all of this had been well-thought-out, properly checked and regulated, and efficiently monitored and run, without cut corners or cost cutting, many lives would have been saved.
Thankfully, it’s been a wake-up call for many organisations to check their health and safety compliance, and fire precautions, but there are still some who are either inefficient, lazy or downright irresponsible.
Compliance is a key word in many areas of business. For instance, in the world of finance, companies large and small are monitored and regulated to ensure they comply with the rules, and if they don’t, they risk stiff fines and penalties from the regulatory authorities.
Our industry – property and security – is not so tightly policed, but we still need to comply with the appropriate regulations. We strive to ensure our staff aspire to the highest standards and it has been the motto of our company for years – a safe pair of hands – for our staff, our clients, and our guardians who rely on us to provide safe accommodation for them while they are part of our guardian family. We don’t just box tick – the rules and regulations mean something to us, as does everyone’s safety and security; and we are always pushing for our industry to raise standards and tighten regulations where health and safety are concerned, along with having a social conscience in these increasingly difficult times when affordable or social accommodation is in such short supply.
Fires start so easily and can be fatal; smoke alone can kill; so can carbon monoxide. All it takes are inexpensive alarms to save lives. The Government have recently tightened legal requirements covering the necessity for all landlords – private and social – to have alarms installed in their properties (see below). My company goes above and beyond what is legally required, but we hope everyone involved in providing homes for people do what is necessary to comply. This isn’t box-ticking, this is people’s lives. How do they sleep at night if they don’t comply, or have they forgotten already what happened at Grenfell?