31 July 2025

Building a safer future: Lessons from Peter Apps and the Grenfell enquiry

We were privileged to host Peter Apps, journalist and author of Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen, in Swindon this week where he delivered insights on building safety from the Grenfell Tower enquiry.


To a room of some 100 Beard colleagues and consultants, Peter shared a compelling overview of the complex network of decisions that led to the tragic events of 14 June 2017, as detailed in his book.


Having followed and reported on the Grenfell enquiry in great detail, Peter’s learnings and observations gave us moment to pause and reflect on how each decision we make forms part of a much greater picture.

When it comes to those decisions, if it is possible as an individual to get it wrong, it is also possible as an individual to get it right.

Peter Apps, journalist and author

Peter’s presentation to our colleagues was a call to action. His words looked to inspire us as a collective industry to focus on how we can continue to make ethical, informed and robust decisions in day to day practice.


At Beard, we’re committed to upskilling our team and ensuring best practice in all areas of our operations and delivery. He encouraged us to challenge approaches to work, continually learn and improve, and take great pride in the industry in which we work.

This session wasn’t about blame. It was about responsibility. About leadership. About the decisions we make every day on site and in our offices. Peter’s words challenge us all to look beyond the surface, interrogate our standards, and rethink the cultural behaviours that shape how we build. Really grateful for this opportunity to listen and reflect.

Jamie Harwood, Company Safety Director and Swindon Director

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