Now is the time for change when it comes to fire safety in tall buildings. The catastrophic events at Grenfell Tower in London on 14 June 2017 have become the starting point in a drastic restructure of the system governing fire and safety in tall buildings. The post-Grenfell review of building regulations and fire safety by Dame Judith Hackitt found that the entire system was fundamentally flawed from procurement through design and construction to maintenance. Ambiguous regulations, unclear responsibilities, weak processes and poor enforcement were all identified as issues that have to be addressed.

In a series of four podcasts Engineering Matters looks across the sector at how tall buildings can be made safer from fire: a question that was answered many times and in many ways at an event attended by Engineering Matters this summer: the Tall Buildings Fire Safety Network Conference, held at FIREX International, in London. We review experiences from around the world, consider new technologies and techniques that can help the industry and speak to the people leading efforts to make tall buildings safer.

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Highlights from the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety by Dame Judith Hackitt

Grenfell public inquiry evidence from Professor Luke Bisby of Edinburgh University

Report from Tall Buildings Fire Safety Network Conference at FIREX International

Justin Francis, Queensland Fire Service, Australia

Dr Jim Glockling, Fire Protection Association

Merlyn Forrer, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Tony Ryan, Kingspan Group