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Architect warns of widespread fire risk

Over half of all local authority tower blocks in the UK are an accident waiting to happen, one expert has claimed.

Speaking to the Architect's Journal after six people died in a fire in Camberwell, south London, last month, architect Sam Webb said the majority do not meet basic fire safety standards.

He explained how the risks of the single staircase building model to the Home Office in a report during the 1990s.

Mr Webb said: "We found a widespread lack of safety, but at the time we were told there wasn't anything that could be done, because it would make too many people homeless."

However, he suggested that the layout and building materials used in the blocks both heighten the fire risks, meaning that even if there were two staircases the building could still be compromised.

Last month, Labour councillor Ian Wingfield called for a full inquiry into the causes of the Camberwell blaze disaster.

Quantum Risk Management are a leading Health and Safety Consultancy

Posted on 17/07/2009

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