Shocking new research has revealed just how little action has been taken since the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, which killed at least 80 people.

The research released to mark Fire Door Safety Week - which runs from today until Sunday, October 1 - shows that since the fire in the West London block in June, nearly half of South West renters remain unclear on fire procedures. 

And 38 per cent of renters in the South West say there is no clear fire escape route displayed in their building and nearly half of tenants do not feel fully prepared on what to do in the event of a fire.

Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy just 13 per cent of landlords have been in touch with the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) to discuss fire safety measures.

Hannah Mansell, is a spokesperson for Fire Door Safety Week, as well as a BWF technical manager, chairman of the Passive Fire Protection Forum and a trustee of the Children’s Burns Trust. 

She said: “This new research shows that social housing landlords and building owners still have a long way to go to meet their fire safety responsibilities. It is astounding to learn that in the last three months so little has been done to address the concerns of tenants and residents.

“Many people do not realise that the real job of a fire door is to hold back fire, smoke and toxic gases, delaying the spread around a building and keeping the vital means of escape route clear. They only work properly if they are specified, manufactured, installed and maintained correctly, and of course, closed when a fire breaks out. 

“Checking fire doors should be part of a regular fire risk assessment. This should examine all aspects of fire safety management. There needs to be a total transformation of attitude towards fire safety of tenants in rented accommodation. Our focus for Fire Door Safety Week in this pivotal year is to ensure all landlords and tenants have the knowledge and resources they need to stay safe.”

This Fire Door Safety Week, the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) which runs the awareness week has put together a free downloadable toolkit of resources to help public and private sector landlords and their tenants with fire safety advice.

For more information about Fire Door Safety Week visit firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk