Reader Response Draft One

In the article ‘’Use of Claddings in Buildings Here Have Grown in Recent Times’’, Faris Mokhtar (2017) expresses a view that use of cladding poses as a serious fire hazard and might have resulted in fatalities despite benefits of its usage. While it is used mainly to provide heat insulation efficiently for buildings, safety can be compromised. Fire can spread quickly due to the ventilation gap between cladding and building wall. As such, materials used for the building’s cladding should comply with the Singapore Fire Code, to ensure that fire will not be extended to other areas should the materials be ignited. According to a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesperson, all buildings must conform with the SCDF’s fire safety regulations. It will be closely examined and accredited by professional engineers for the annual fire safety certification by SCDF. Though cladding is a potential fire hazard, it is certain that with strict fire safety regulations imposed, safety will not be compromised.

Materials used for cladding must be carefully selected before being applied to the buildings as it will directly result in whether the fire will spread or not. Also, they must meet the industry standard. According to a press release by SCDF (2017), “SCDF’s Fire Code requires composite panels used as cladding to be either non-combustible or certified as Class ‘0’”. Class “0” is an industry measurement of the spread of fire with “0” indicating that the fire will not spread along its surface.

However, it is only the surface of the cladding that must comply to the class “0” standard. According to an image graphic by straits time (2017), the core which is between two class “0” non-combustible layer is combustible. This layout may seem safe as the core is protected by two non-combustible layers, but it is not totally fool proof as the core poses as a fire hazard. Should there be any mishandling of the cladding, there is still risk that the core might be ignited or catches fire and causing the fire to spread. In my opinion, the core itself should be non-combustible too. If such requirement is met, then cladding will be dismissed as being a fire hazard as it will not in any way contribute to the spread of the fire.

Fire safety should always be a top priority and must not in any ways be compromised for sustainability as sustainability can be compensated in other ways. According to “Experts warned government against cladding material use on Grenfell” (Booth, Sample, Pegg, Watt, 2017), the cladding system that is used to provide efficient insulation to the building. is key to the spread of the fire. Plastic insulation should thus be prohibited in cladding as it is highly flammable. It caused the fire to spread and consume the Grenfell tower at a fast speed which resulted in fatalities. Authorities should also conduct more test regarding the building’s cladding combustibility and if any building does not pass the standard, further actions must be taken.

As of now, cladding without a doubt poses as a fire hazard. But there are things that can be done to minimize its risk. If the class “0” industry standard is met on both the external and internal material use for the cladding, it will be no longer classified as a fire hazard.

References

SCDF TAKES IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TO ENSURE FIRE SAFETY OF BUILDINGS (2017). SCDF. Retrieved, September 27, 2017 from https://www.scdf.gov.sg/sites/www.scdf.gov.sg/files/SCDF_Press_Release-24_Aug_2017.pdf

Graphic Image. Straits Times. Retrieved, September 27, 2017 from http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/attachments/2017/08/25/ST_20170825_SAFETY25B_3374023.pdf

Experts warned government against cladding material us on Grenfell. The Guardian. Retrieved, September 27, 2017 from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/15/experts-warned-government-against-cladding-material-used-on-grenfell