Standardise fire control switches and keys
Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · Issued 4 September 2024 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
We are not in a position to determine whether greater standardisation of the fire control switches and keys is required. We therefore recommend that the government seeks urgent advice from the Building Safety Regulator and the National Fire Chiefs Council on the nature and scale of the problem and the appropriate response to it. (113.43)
Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · 4 Sep 2024 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The government's annual report stated the National Fire Chiefs Council and Building Safety Regulator have completed a finalised position on measures ensuring appropriate lift key guidance and standardisation (Annual Report on Progress, MHCLG, February 2026).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government — initial response
The government accepts this recommendation. The National Fire Chiefs Council are reviewing the guidance for the provision of lift fire control switches with the Building Safety Regulator to support a view on standardisation in buildings. They are also surveying fire and rescue services to establish how lift keys, and the type of key, are distributed to firefighters.
UK Government · 16 Jan 2025 Written response →
●UK Government — follow-up
The government accepts this recommendation. The National Fire Chiefs Council are reviewing the guidance for the provision of lift fire control switches with the Building Safety Regulator to support a view on standardisation in buildings. They are also surveying fire and rescue services to establish how lift keys, and the type of key, are distributed to firefighters.
UK Government · 26 Feb 2025 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 20 May 2026 All actions delivered. Following National Fire Chiefs Council and Building Safety Regulator work on lift fire control switch and key guidance, learning materials have been updated in line with the changes to national guidance since the February Annual Report. Recommendation formally discharged. Source →
- 1 Feb 2026 National Fire Chiefs Council and Building Safety Regulator completed finalised position on measures ensuring appropriate lift key guidance and standardisation. Meeting held 31 October 2025 confirmed BSR internal consideration. Updated guidance published on NFCC website 23 October 2025 following Operational Preparedness Committee approval 22 October. Source →
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.