The key issue for Kingspan at the inquiry has been the fire tests conducted on its K15 insulation product, some of which was used in the Grenfell cladding. There were two fire tests, one in 2005 and the second in 2014. Kingspan had relied upon the results of these tests when marketing K15.
However, on October 29 Kingspan wrote to the UK s Building Research Establishment withdrawing the results of these tests. Kingspan Insulation has reviewed its testing and marketing of K15 and identified process shortcomings, particularly in the way certain tests of cladding systems undertaken in 2005 and 2014 were conducted and were relied upon for the marketing of K15. These shortcomings fell short of the high standards which Kingspan sets itself, says the company.
The inquiry was established following the disastrous June 2017 fire, which killed 72 people.
One of the reasons the death toll was so high was that the cladding, in which the outside of the building was wrapped, ignited in the intense heat. Some of the insulation contained within the cladding, but not the cladding itself, was supplied by Kingspan.
The inquiry began hearings on its second module, which is dealing with the cladding and insulation used on Grenfell Tower, on November 5.
Since then embarrassing revelations have come thick and fast from the Irish company.
The key issue for Kingspan at the inquiry has been the fire tests conducted on its K15 insulation product, some of which was used in the Grenfell cladding. There were two fire tests, one in 2005 and the second in 2014. Kingspan had relied upon the results of these tests when marketing K15.