Arconic, the company that made combustible cladding that spread the Grenfell Tower fire, has said more heat was released by the burning contents of victims’ flats, in a combative and unapologetic closing statement toIn a final speech that sought to deflect responsibility for the 72 deaths, the company also said that if others involved in the 2014-16 refurbishment had properly read a safety certificate for its plastic-filled panels which said they were combustible very likely no one would have...
Hockman also said it had been established by expert witnesses that “at least half of the heat loading occurred as a result of the combustion of the apartment contents rather than the combustion of the components of the cladding system”. Jonathan Laidlaw KC, appearing for Harley, admitted claims that companies were engaged in a merry-go-round of buck-passing “may be true”. He conceded there had been “failings” and “omissions”. But he said “the overwhelmingly dominant factor in the catastrophic spread of the fire was the use of these materials”.
For Arconic, Hockman’s key defence against allegations it failed to warn users about the fire performance or made misleading statements was a certificate, obtained from the British Board of Agrément certification body, which “makes it crystal clear that the product was combustible”.
As any excellerant would.