Engineered Panels in Construction (EPIC) says it has thrown its full weight behind the ‘100% Hackitt’ campaign to help drive the industry to adopt all 53 recommendations from ‘The Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’.
“EPIC members manufacture highly-engineered, thoroughly-tested building elements which can be relied upon to perform predictably in service,” says EPIC general secretary, Chris Pateman. “So, Dame Judith Hackitt’s insistence on seeing high-rise buildings as complex systems, selecting materials in the light of proven engineering performance and resisting ‘quick-fix’ solutions, absolutely resonates with everything EPIC has been striving to achieve for the last 15 years.”
‘100% Hackitt’ is an initiative launched in October 2018 by two building specialists, British Board of Agrément (BBA) and Local Authority Building Control (LABC). It aims to bring together individuals and organisations, ranging from architects to fire fighters, to support Dame Judith Hackitt’s vision of “a radical rethink of the whole system”. Within the 159-page report, she argues that an immediate and extended implementation of the whole plan is necessary to create a robust regulatory framework. That, if the industry cherry-picks its actions, it “will fail to achieve the systemic change sought. The framework operates as a mutually reinforcing package and requires the implementation of its interdependent components in order for this to be achieved”.
“EPIC is proud to lend its support to ‘100% Hackitt’ which strives to achieve a proper, balanced, engineering approach,” added Chris. “We hope to see more companies and organisations joining us to reinforce the importance of this message, to lobby the government for swift and effective change, and to help support the industry transform the way it works to ensure safe, future-proofed buildings.”
As a major contributor to UK and European consultative groups, EPIC has been actively involved in fire testing and research for over a decade. It contributes important information and proven data about the fire performance of insulated panel systems to specifiers, contractors and fire professionals. EPIC and its management team has consistently advocated for root-and-branch reform and not ‘quick-fix’ solutions.
To read more about ‘100% Hackitt’, or offer your support, visit www.100-hackitt.co.uk
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