On Tuesday, more than 400 residents were forced to evacuate Barton House, a tower block in Bristol, due to safety concerns. Fire and electrical inspection reports have shown significant failings in the building, with routine safety checks not being carried out and fire prevention measures either not in place or not built to standard. Bristol City Council (BCC) has said that original design plans were not followed during the construction of the building in 1958. Building surveys carried out on the council-owned building have revealed an apparent lack of structural ties between the floors and the load-bearing external walls, indicating that the tower block would be unsafe in the event of a fire or explosion.
Surveys of three flats out of the 98 indicate that Barton House was not constructed in line with its original design. According to a risk assessment, the fire alarm system is not regularly serviced and tested, the ventilation system does not have the correct fire resistance, and the hoppers which are meant to stop smoke are not fixed with sufficient seals. Andrew Tarling, a chartered surveyor with expertise in fire safety and building construction, has said that cuts in staffing and negligence of training are to blame for the widespread issues. The government should’ve taken prompt action back in 1967, but they didn’t. They should’ve also taken prompt action in sorting out the building regulations, but they didn’t.
Since it began on Tuesday, 61 households have been moved into hotel accommodation, and 14 remain with family and friends. Six households continue to occupy their properties, BCC said. A webpage has been set up to provide help and information for Barton House residents. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Building Safety Act, introduced after Grenfell, has created a regulator to assess the safety and standards of all buildings. The regulator actively monitors structural and fire risks across the built environment and advises the government on any action that may be needed
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