Arconic, the manufacturer who supplied the component Reynobond PE (polyethylene) used as part of the cladding system of Grenfell Tower, has issued a statement that confirms it will be discontinuing the sale of the product for use on high-rise flats with immediate effect.

The Arconic statement, which was released this week, said:

“The loss of lives, injuries and destruction following the Grenfell Tower fire are devastating, and our deepest condolences are with everyone affected by this tragedy. We have offered our full support to the authorities as they conduct their investigations.

While the official inquiry is continuing and all the facts concerning the causes of the fire are not yet known, we want to make sure that certain information is clear:

  • Arconic supplied one of our products, Reynobond PE, to our customer, a fabricator, which used the product as one component of the overall cladding system on Grenfell Tower. The fabricator supplied its portion of the cladding system to the façade installer, who delivered it to the general contractor. The other parts of the cladding system, including the insulation, were supplied by other parties. We were not involved in the installation of the system, nor did we have a role in any other aspect of the building’s refurbishment or original design.
  • While we provided general parameters for potential usage universally, we sold our products with the expectation that they would be used in compliance with the various and different local building codes and regulations. Current regulations within the United States, Europe and the U.K. permit the use of aluminum composite material in various architectural applications, including in high-rise buildings depending on the cladding system and overall building design. Our product is one component in the overall cladding system; we don’t control the overall system or its compliance.

Nevertheless, in light of this tragedy, we have taken the decision to no longer provide this product in any high-rise applications, regardless of local codes and regulations.”

Since the disaster, the Government ordered that fire safety tests are carried out on other high-rise buildings. Since then it has been revealed that the cladding on 120 tower blocks in 37 local authority areas around the country has failed the tests.

Last week, Camden council evacuated 650 households from four tower blocks after fire safety experts stated that they were unable to guarantee the safety of residents in those blocks. So far, the cladding on these high-rise flats has a 100% fail rate when it comes to testing for combustibility.

The Government has ordered a public inquiry into the events that took place and Sir Martin Moore-Brick, a former Appeal Court judge, has been appointed to lead the inquiry.