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The Audio Long Read

From the archive – ‘A merry-go-round of buck-passing’: inside the four-year Grenfell inquiry

Sep 6, 2024
Explore the harrowing details behind the Grenfell Tower tragedy, where systemic failures and a culture of buck-passing led to devastating consequences. Hear emotional testimonies from victims' families and insights into the construction industry's profit-driven decisions. Discover the chilling role of corporate negligence and inadequate oversight in the tragedy. The inquiry sheds light on the importance of accountability in preventing future disasters and highlights the troubling disconnect within modern supply chains that fosters evasion of responsibility.
51:05

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The Grenfell Inquiry exposed a disturbing cycle of 'buck-passing' among stakeholders, frustrating the determination of accountability for the tragedy.
  • A significant theme revealed was the prioritization of profit over safety, particularly in the use of combustible materials in high-rise buildings.

Deep dives

The Grenfell Inquiry's Purpose and Challenges

The Grenfell Inquiry was established to investigate the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, which resulted in the loss of 72 lives in June 2017. The inquiry aimed to uncover the causes of the fire and to prevent such disasters in the future. Initially perceived as a straightforward process, it soon revealed a complex web of responsibilities, negligence, and systemic failures among various stakeholders. These included building contractors, local authorities, and safety inspectors, leading to a daunting challenge of pinpointing accountability amid extensive documentation and shifting responsibilities.

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