Dan Kemp, Features Editor, Construction News outlines lessons to be learned from the recent Grenfell tragedy

The tragic events at Grenfell Tower have dominated the national news agenda in the last week.

The fire has shone a spotlight on the industry, seeing it discussed across the mainstream media in a way that we rarely see.

While we are often quick to malign the fact that construction’s positive contribution to society can be overlooked, the industry must now also be prepared to deal with the fallout from this event, whatever the cause turns out to be.

Already, each company working in this sector is busy trying to understand the implications of the Grenfell fire, so that they can ensure their developments don’t suffer the same fate.

Without speculating on the reasons behind the fire, which aren’t yet known despite what you have read in the press, the construction industry will have questions to answer, on building regulations, quality of installation, materials, or other matters entirely.

The industry must not shy away from this – rather, it must do everything it can to rebuild trust and fix whatever may have gone wrong at Grenfell.

All of us who work in or have regular contact with the construction industry know the great good it can do for society, leaving a lasting legacy in the form of vital infrastructure, new schools, or homes for people to spend their lives in.

As our editor Tom Fitzpatrick said this week, ‘meeting standards’ may no longer be good enough.

The industry must come together when responding to Grenfell to ensure it never happens again.