Kingspan, Celotex and Arconic facing debarment investigation over Grenfell

London — The United Kingdom government has accepted the findings of the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people in June 2017. It has announced plans to act on all 58 of the recommendations the report made to enhance building and fire safety standards. Tough new rules about construction product safety will be introduced, along with a stronger regulator.

Seven of the companies and organizations who were criticized in the report will be investigated via new powers under the Procurement Act. If certain grounds are met, they will be added to a published debarment list, and any contracting authorities will have to take this list into account when new contracts are being awarded. The investigations will look at whether the organizations engaged in professional misconduct. Further investigations into other organizations may follow.

“To my disgust and their shame, some [companies] have shown little remorse and have refused to even help fix the building safety crisis that they did so much to create,” deputy prime minister Angela Rayner told the House of Commons. “Companies must be held to account for their role in Grenfell.”

Kingspan and Arconic are among the seven organizations facing investigation, as is Saint-Gobain, in relation to the actions of Celotex, which it divested in 2023. The others are the main contractor Rydon Maintenance, cladding subcontractor Harley Facades and fire safety consultancy Exova, plus Studio E Architects, which has since gone out of business.

Most of the insulation used at Grenfell was supplied by Celotex, with Kingspan providing about 5 percent of the total. The report accused Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan of “systematic dishonesty” by engaging in deliberate and sustained strategies to manipulate testing processes, misrepresent test data, and mislead the market.

“Kingspan Insulation Limited remains committed to ongoing constructive engagement with government officials and continuing to demonstrate the comprehensive and robust measures already undertaken that address the historic issues,” the company said in a statement “We remain steadfast in our resolve to ensuring a safe and sustainable built environment.”

The government also announced that a new single construction regulator will be introduced to hold those responsible for building safety to account. There will be tougher oversight of those responsible for testing and certifying, manufacturing and using construction products, with serious consequences for those breaking the rules.
 

Construction products reform
The government has also published a green paper setting out a range of proposals for construction products reform, including some that directly address the inquiry’s recommendations. Proposals in the paper include addressing the gaps in regulatory coverage that might allow unsafe products onto the market. Manufacturers engaging in misleading practices or neglecting product safety responsibilities could face civil and criminal penalties.

“Currently, anecdotal estimates suggest that two-thirds of construction products are not covered by existing regulations, creating a safety risk,” the paper said. “To address this, the government plans to implement a proportionate, risk-based general safety requirement that applies to all currently unregulated construction products.”

All manufacturers would be responsible for assessing their products’ safety risks before they are marketed, considering both the product’s intended use, and any normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use. “By requiring this level of assurance, the government is closing the existing regulatory loopholes, and ensuring that all construction materials contribute to public safety,” it said. “Additional measures will apply to products critical to safe construction.”

The green paper is open for comments until 21 May.