An architect who worked on the Grenfell Tower inquiry fought back tears as she called for a “culture change” to put fire safety at the heart of building construction in the UK.
Thouria Istephan, who had sat as a panel member alongside Inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick, revealed she was on a flight into the UK on the night of the disaster, and saw the inferno unfolding from the plane.
She said the inquiry has exposed incompetence as a key cause of the Grenfell disaster, and the number of buildings still covered in dangerous cladding demonstrates that “the problem of incompetence is widespread”.
“A period of change is needed to the culture in the industry, and an ongoing commitment to the development of professional skills.”
In a challenge to her colleagues, Ms Istephan said: “Our report identifies what we think is needed to make sure that the legacy of Grenfell is real and brings about lasting and progressive change.
“Our recommendations place new burdens and responsibilities on people and organisations. I make no apologies for that.
“Put simply, if you work in the construction industry and you do not feel the weight of the responsibility you have for keeping people safe - you are in the wrong job.”
Recalling her sight of the burning building, she said: “Returning home from a holiday in June 2017, I flew over west London and saw the burning tower in the early hours from the air.
“As for so many others, this was a profound shock: first of course as a human response, but also as a professional who had spent their career working to make buildings safe.
“Throughout this inquiry, we have been determined to find out how such a disaster was possible - and what needs to be done to save lives in the future.”
Fighting back tears, she added that the disaster and the ensuing inquiry has “left a mark on me as a person, and as a professional, which will last far beyond the inquiry.”
Ms Istephan, an architect and a registered Health and Safety Practitioner with more than 35 years’ experience said the Building Safety Act – passed in 2022 – was “welcome” but does not go far enough.
Sir Martin Moore-Bick, in his remarks, said “incompetence” along with “dishonesty and greed” had been responsible for the litany of failings that led to the Grenfell fire.
He made recommendations that he said would prevent a future disaster.
Echoing those remarks, Ms Istephan added: “The change we need to bring about is partly about structures and regulations. Sir Martin has set out the key points of what we have proposed, and the report explains our recommendations in detail.
“But the necessary change is also one of culture and behaviour.
“Change on this scale needs to be owned and led by those of us working in the sector. It is not enough to pass an Act of Parliament and to sit back and think the work is done.
“Without changes in behaviour - and a recognition that the needs of the people who use our buildings must be placed at the centre of our work, the lessons of Grenfell will not truly be learned in full.”
