A new survey by Rockwool, the manufacturer of non-combustible stone wool insulation materials, shows ‘overwhelming’ support (90 per cent) among the British public for all new high-rise and high-risk buildings to be clad and insulated in non-combustible materials only.
Rockwool (its Stonewool insulation material is shown) released the poll results shortly before the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, and ahead of the publication last month of Dame Judith Hackitt’s resulting independent review of building regulations and fire safety.
It showed that
- 90 per cent of those polled support all new high-rise and high-risk buildings – such as those used by hospitals, care facilities, and schools – being clad and insulated in non-combustible materials only.
- 71 per cent believe that desktop studies as a way of assessing the fire performance of cladding systems used on buildings should be banned.
- Only 32 per cent ere ‘satisfied’ with the Government’s response to improving fire safety since the Grenfell Tower fire.
Darryl Matthews, Rockwool UK’s MD, said: “It is very encouraging, although not surprising, to see such widespread public support for the use of non-combustible materials on high-risk and high-rise buildings. Requiring non-combustible cladding and insulation materials on new buildings would help protect public safety and eliminate the need for desktop studies, which allow manufacturers to commission unregulated, unpublished reports assessing their materials’ theoretical safety for high-rise buildings”.
