Before Grenfell : Fire, Safety and Deregulation in Twentieth-Century Britain.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ewen, Shane.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fire prevention.

Building laws--Great Britain.

Building laws.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (148 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London, GB : University of London Press, 2023.

Summary:

Before Grenfell by Shane Ewen examines the historical and systemic factors leading to the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. The book critically explores the evolution of fire safety regulations, deregulation policies, and the prioritization of commercial interests over public safety in Britain over the past century. It highlights the failures of the British state to protect vulnerable citizens, providing a detailed account of relevant legislation, building standards, and governance practices. Ewen draws on extensive research to offer a compelling and urgent analysis of fire safety policies while advocating for justice and systemic change. This work is intended for policymakers, historians, safety advocates, and anyone interested in understanding the social and regulatory context behind the Grenfell disaster. Generated by AI.

Contents:

Cover

Frontmatter

Half title

Title

Copyright

Contents

Acknowledgements����������������������������������������������

Introduction: Multiple-fatality fires, deregulation and the value of ‘thinking with history’

1. From byelaws to building regulations: recasting building control in Britain since the nineteenth century

2. How red tape saves lives: the law on fire precautions in Britain since the 1970s

3. The mixed economy of ‘scientific governance’ in twentieth-century Britain

4. The path of least intervention in the ‘great unswept corner of English housing policy’: multiple-fatality fires in houses in multiple occupancy in the 1980s and 1990s

Conclusion: The need to learn before and after Grenfell����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Bibliography��������������������������������������

Index������������������������ Generated by AI.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

ISBN:

1-914477-26-X

OCLC:

1530390696