While following a trail carved out by mountain bikers through a dark plantation in Hutton Lowcross, I came across upon this lively burst of green pushing its way through the thick blanket of fallen larch needles. I believe it might be the northern buckler-fern, Dryopteris expansa. But meanwhile …
The report into the Grenfell fire disaster has revealed malpractice, though it is hardly surprising. It might appear to unravel the cosy relationships between manufacturers and regulators, but such efforts are likely to be futile. The report labels the key figures involved with predictable terms: “deliberate,” “dishonest,” “dismissive,” and “dangerous,” all displaying a “cavalier attitude” to safety. Yet, for all the righteous indignation, I have my doubts whether any substantial changes will emerge. The same old patterns of negligence and self-interest are likely to persist, unaffected by this latest report.
I can only speculate about my reaction had I been one of those minions toiling away for one of the companies named. Could I manage to sleep soundly? It is hard to believe that none of those employees: draughtsmen, technical clerks, junior architects, or others further down the corporate ladder would not have had some inkling that corners were being cut, and choosing to remain silent for fear of jeopardising their careers and livelihoods.
The Grenfell fire disaster serves as a grim reminder of a culture that dates back to the 1990s, when I was employed in the construction industry, though thankfully not in high-rise residential blocks. My work was more focused on heavy engineering and petrochemical projects; and I had no hand in specifying materials—merely facilitating the flow of money. Safety and finance may be worlds apart, but I witnessed firsthand the art of massaging accounts to obscure less palatable truths from financial reports. One client I was seconded to specifically instructed me to inflate the value of Work in Progress to boost the organisation’s apparent profitability. It is not hard to imagine a similar attitude to design specifications.
I am not here to absolve them, but those CEOs served their time in the 70s and 80s—dare I call it the Thatcher era? They were my contemporaries, shaped by a long tradition of cutting corners in the name of profit. The seeds of these were germinated many generations before. Fingers kept crossed and a hope for the best. And we have had the cover-ups: thalidomide, tobacco, asbestos, and now, apparently, talcum powder. All part of the same dreary story. Not much different, really, from the slow-motion catastrophe we call the climate crisis.
Those chickens invariably return to roost, as the saying goes.
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