The role of civil servants before the Grenfell Tower fire is important because it highlights deficiencies within the highest levels of the civil service. MHCLG civil servants seem to have responded to ministerial pressures by degrading their working practices until they became unrecognisable to those who worked in government 20 or 30 years ago.
Someone I spoke with today spent nearly 5 years in a Fire Service but took 15 years to get over it. She told me that the actions of her colleagues… Read more The LFB Review of Culture: A quick blog… →
Personal reflections as we approach the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower Fire.
Background Systemic failings in governance, accountability and the role of political agendas are integral to understanding the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Given the extraordinary evidence we have seen in the Grenfell… Read more Grenfell: Governance, Accountability and Political Agendas →
Making the water visible: A methodology.
Crisis response journal article
The Bronx fire raises challenging questions about our approach to fire safety post Grenfell.
I recently published an article: Systemic Change in Complex Times in the Crisis Response Journal. For more information about the journal and how to subscribe, follow this link.
Despite the many post-Grenfell promises we continue to see terrible examples of a failure to engage effectively with residents. This blog explores the difference between consultations, collaboration and co-design and suggests that moving away from tick-box consultations may help restore trust.
Former MP Emma Dent Coad accuses the RBKC of deliberate obfuscations that are not in the spirit of post-Grenfell engagement to which the Council committed.
Trellick Tower Development, RBKC fail to listen to residents.
Nicky Venables, CEO of New Build Database interviews me about my book, Systemic change and whether we will learn from Grenfell.
On 3 July 2009, 3 week old Michelle Udooka died with her mother, Helen, in the Lakanal House Fire. Lessons were not leaarned and on 14 June 2017, the youngest victim t Grenfell was Logan Isaac Gomes, still-born at seven months.
Watch the BBC Newsnight documentary Grenfell: The 21st Floor.
LBC’s James O’Brien speaks to Ed Daffarn the author of the blog that predicted a catastrophic event at Grenfell.
A technical analysis of what happened at the Grenfell Tower Fire.
This report looks objectively at the design of the cladding system and the way in which it was installed, whilst explaining some of the evidence heard at the Inquiry.
The coverage of the conservative vote against the Grenfell Recommendations is missing the point.
Grenfell Tower Fire: Questions and Answers.
Chartered Architectural Technologist and Fire Engineer shares what happened.
Evidence by main contractor #Rydon at the #Grenfell Tower Inquiry reveals the narratives used to silence the voices of residents.
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Lessons from the Great Fire of London. What are the similarities to Grenfell.
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Power and Accountability. The failure of politicians to be accountable for the psychological contract in the face of catastrophic events such as Grenfell, COVID19 and Hillsborough.
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Grenfell, COVID-19 and Learning. Will we learn? Risk Guru podcast.
This blog explores the Cummings’ crisis through the lens of a failure to attend to and restore an unwritten psychological contract in the aftermath of catastrophic events.
Rather than asking ‘how can we ‘move on’ from the Cummings’ crisis?’ those in power might instead seek to understand what a country in grief needs from them, to understand what it would take to restore the psychological contract and build trust.
Link to Tim Harford article about why we fail to prepare for disasters.
Adaptive capacity is a cornerstone of resiliance. Those that failed to ensure this capacity whilst listing a pandemic as a top civil risk need to be held to account.
A 2013 Report by the CHPI warns that the new NHS structure would impact the ability to fight a pandemic.
Failures to learn and heed warnings about the impact of a global pandemic.
Personal reflection on #Grenfell and #COVID19
Podcast reflecting on working in high hazard industries as a non-technical woman.
Recorded for International Women’s Day.
A timeline of the first 35 minutes of the Grenfell Tower Fire.
Chartered Architectural Technologist and Fire Engineer, Frances Maria Peacock gives her view on the recent advice for building owners issues by. the MHCLG
What lessons are there for us to learn from week 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 details and background.
Recent decisions about Benita Mehra, Gavin Barwell and Robert Jenrick are perplexing in the symbolic dissonance with the intent for learning and change.
This blog looks at the failures of the LFB in preparing for Grenfell and explores the narratives displacing our ability to learn from Grenfell.
Key facts surrounding the departure of the LFB Commissioner.
A conscious unwillingness to learn from Grenfell
Grenfell Tower, Phase 1 Report, Systemic Change, Learning. The one question it must answer.
In preparation for the publication of the Phase 1 report, I’ve attempted to pull together some key facts about the Inquiry. Please forgive any errors or omissions. I look at:… Read more The Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Key facts… →
LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton said that preparing for Grenfell would be like a space shuttle landing on the shard. This article explores why this statement is problematic.
It looks at the failures of the LFB to understand and mitigate catastrophic risk and to create a learning culture.
Transcript of Prof Torero speech – the real lesson of Grenfell. Accountability, complexity
Grenfell Never Again. Transcript of speech given at Fire Brigade Union event at the Labour Party Conference.
Grenfell Tower systemic change and learning. Compliance, Leadership and reality.
In another bizarre and ironic twist post-Grenfell, the MHCLG has issued a consultation on the proposed regulatory reform based on the Hackitt review. It calls for a stronger resident voice but fails to ensure this through the consultation process.
BBC Radio 4 Beyond Today Podcast. Gill Kernick with Matthew Price and Kate Lambe.
As we mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower Fire, I thought I’d post some examples of protest art that marked the event. I find the art haunting and deeply expressive of what the community feels.
How can authorities respond to concerns around air and soil contamination in a way that builds, rather than erodes, trust?
Dr Stan Schofield offers ways the approach taken with Piper could be applied to Grenfell. Stan spent 16 years in HSE’s Offshore Safety division in the wake of Piper Alpha.
Summary of the expert evidence heard at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry in November 2018.
Preventing catastrophic events such as the Grenfell Tower fire will require that we deepen our understanding of the nature of risk.
We cannot allow firefighters to be blamed for actions whilst those with accountability at senior levels in the fire brigade, government and contracting firms ‘seek refuge in a judicial cocoon’.
Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire, Gill Kernick
Uploading a blog Martin Stanley and I wrote in September 2017. I believe this thinking will be important for Phase 2 of the Grenfell Public Inquiry.
The first submission I made to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Arguing for including the thinking of Major Accidents in understanding what happened at Grenfell.
