“One very significant reason why Grenfell Tower came to be clad in combustible materials was systematic dishonesty on the part of those who made and sold the rainscreen cladding panels and insulation products. They engaged in deliberate and sustained strategies to manipulate the testing processes, misrepresent test data and mislead the market.” – Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 report overview.

The Grenfell tragedy is a damning indictment of how the industry runs some projects, how “value engineering” became a euphemism for “cheapest” and how fragmentation of the supply chain encouraged a race to the bottom. However, the most shocking aspect of all is how the cladding suppliers, according to the report, paid only lip service to safety.

Developers, contractors, subcontractors and other construction professionals have been on the receiving end of claims from property owners and the government in recent years. But what of the cladding suppliers?

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