Report into fire which killed 72 people in London highlights failures of UK government, building materials companies, contractors, fire safety experts and local council officials
The Kingspan product was used when there were supply problems with insulation boards of UK rival Celotex, the product specified by those responsible for the refurbishment. The final inquiry report found that Kingspan and Celotex each misled the construction market with claims their respective K15 and RS5000 insulation boards could be used on high-rise buildings.
“Tests performed in 2007 and 2008 on systems incorporating the then current form of K15 were disastrous, but Kingspan did not withdraw the product from the market, despite its own concerns about its fire performance,” it added. Kingspan, led by chief executive Gene Murtagh since 2005, has repeatedly highlighted that inquiry expert witnesses – professor Luke Bisby and José Torero – provided unequivocal evidence that Arconic’s ACM cladding was primarily responsible for the rate and extent of fire spread, and that the combustibility of the insulation within the facade system made no material difference.