Hospital cladding investigation commences
The HSE are currently investigating how many hospital buildings are lined with the external cladding used on Grenfell Tower in the UK.
HSE Estates are identifying all buildings that have cladding-type systems installed.
An expert group has been established by Mr Aidan O’Connor, HSE Estate Manager, Fire Sagety, and are evaluating all available information in relation to the Grenfell Tower fire and similar cladding systems in Ireland.
The Group will: identify the legislative requirements for cladding systems in Ireland; identify different cladding type systems installed on healthcare buildings; and develop an inspection methodology that will be used to evaluate the identified cladding systems.
A sample number of sites have been chosen initially for inspections by the expert groul.
These inspections will inform the final evaluation methodology, which will be applied in the inspection programme.
Preliminary indication suggest the cladding use in Beaumont Hospital is not combustible.
However, all the buildings in Beaumont will be evaluated according to the evaluation methodology once it is devised.
The Grenfell Tower fire occurred on 14 June 2017 at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of public housing flats in North Kensington, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, West London. It caused at least 80 deaths and over 70 injuries.
A definitive death toll is not expected until at least 2018.
The rapid growth of the fire is thought to have been accelerated by the building’s exterior cladding, which is of a common type in widespread use.