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146 The British Board of Agrement

A ‘very basic failure of due diligence’.

A safety certificate for insulation installed on Grenfell Tower contained a ‘very basic failure of due diligence’.

In 2008 the independent organisation, the British Board of Agrement produced a certificate for a combustible plastic foam insulation made by the company Kingspan. The product - Kooltherm K15 - was later installed on Grenfell Tower.

The inquiry heard from staff at the BBA involved in certifying Kooltherm K15. The certificate stated that the product achieved a British fire standard without the BBA ever requesting any fire tests proving the product had actually achieved this.

BBA staff were also questioned about how they issued certificates for the combustible cladding panels used on Grenfell Tower. One employee accepted the organisation had published a certificate that was ‘materially wrong’.

Presenter / Producer: Kate Lamble
Producer: Sharon Hemans
Researcher: May Cameron
Studio Mix: Gareth Jones

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49 minutes

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